


Ethereal | Castiel

by eurusholmmes



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Angel Wings, Angst, Archangel Gabriel (Supernatural), F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Romantic Soulmates, Wing Kink
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-30
Updated: 2020-09-22
Packaged: 2020-09-30 21:40:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 69
Words: 285,870
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20453969
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eurusholmmes/pseuds/eurusholmmes
Summary: Once upon a time, a Nephilim and a fallen angel meet in a small town park in Kansas. They bond over a cup of coffee and their love for humanity, and Castiel realizes just why humans love so recklessly when he finds out that same Nephilim he was meant to kill will be the wife he lives out his life with.Then they find out they’re each others soulmate, and everything goes down hill from there. Two brothers, a fallen angel, and a half breed. Team Free Will.





	1. Prologue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Once upon a time... an angel and a human meet and fall in love, and the world changes for the better. That's what they wanted to believe, anyway.

** _1970_ **

_It had been a constant struggle to keep himself away from her. While order remained in Heaven under the rule of the Archangels, several Seraphim had been sent to walk the Earth to ensure the safety of the humans their father had created. Gabriel had been adamant that Josiah, despite being a higher ranking angel, be one of them. He was one of the most intelligent and the most willing to get the difficult things done. _

_He wasn't supposed to be attracted to her. Not a human anyway. _

_She was tall and fair, standing at 5'10 with black hair that reminded him of the ocean; Hair that was falling in deep waves that cascaded down her back and ended just above her waistline. Her eyes were akin to that of the newest emerald, shimmering brightly under the sunlight and always glowing with the happiness that life as a human often brought. _

_Or at least that's what he thought at the time. _

_It took him a while to gain the confidence to approach her, but he hadn't regretted one moment of their time together since. She had been no older then 20 when Josiah caught her attention on the cliffs of Oregon the summer of 1970, just before she was to start her sophomore year of college. He cursed his lustful thoughts when she came bounding up the bank, her hair pulled back into a tight ponytail as she stared at him, hands wrapped tightly around her hips. _

_"What's your name?" She questioned softly. Josiah inhaled deeply and parted his hair from his eyes, flashing a warm smile when she gasped at the colors of his eyes. They were a striking blue - one that reminded her of the ocean she'd grown up in, the color of the sky during the midsummer days. It was one she felt she could often get lost. _

_"My name is Josiah." He replied. "And what about you, darling?" _

_"Alexandria." _

_ **1975** _

_"You know, Father would kill me if he found out I was an accomplice in this." Gabriel muttered, slapping the younger Angels arm as he peered into the glass cases of engagement rings. "You rebelled, Josiah. You rebelled for a human. Do you have any idea what kind of a message that sends to the higher ups? Michael already wants to kill you!" _

_The blonde angel smiled as he pointed to a deep sapphire ring in the back of the case, urging the sales attendant to pull it out for him to see. "Heaven has no say in whom I choose to marry, Gabriel. They have no say in who I choose to love. And if it is the end of me to love this beautiful human, one who has taught me the true beauty of humanity..” Josiah's cerulean irises locked on Gabriel who merely snorted in response, tracing circles along the glass case. "Then it is an ending I will cherish." _

_"That is quite possibly the most poetic thing I've ever heard come out of your mouth, and your name literally means Jehovah has healed. That's pretty poetic in itself." _

_The future grooms eyes narrowed in on a stunning diamond with two smaller sapphires fastened beside it. The band was a stunning silver that glistened in the sunlight, thin around the width and small enough to forever rest safely on the finger of his future bride. _

_"That one." He replied, eyeing the clerk behind the counter. The young woman nodded eagerly and gingerly pulled the ring from the case, opening the velvet box and placing it inside. "This is the ring that Alexandria will wear when I ask her to marry me." Gabriel grinned widely and slipped the clerk his emergency card, for when he had to spend time on Earth playing as a human. _

_"I'm super proud of you bud." He proclaimed, taking the box and tucking it into the pocket of his over sized leather jacket. "Now, in all seriousness here.. When I tell you not to get her pregnant, you have to listen to my advice. It's not just for her safety.. but also for yours." _

_Josiah tilted his head as the archangel lead him back outside and into the busy streets of Portland, Oregon where the two of them would live for the next several weeks until the day of their wedding. As much as Alexandria wanted a large, traditional wedding on the beach, she had come to the realization that as long as she was in love with an angel.. traditional was no longer the norm. _

_"Why?"_

_"When a human and an angel do the horizontal tango," Gabriel began, swiveling his hips for good measure. "The kid that's created is called a Nephilim. They're an abomination in Heaven and most of them are hunted down before they even learn what living is really like. Most of them are more powerful then us Archangels. So if you value your life and your gorgeous brides too... Do not allow a Nephilim to be born." _

_ **Fall 1978 - Lawrence** _

_"Jos," Alexandria called out, grimacing as she slowly exited their 1970 Chevy Camaro in the driveway of their new home. Lawrence, Kansas was a small suburban town a few hours outside of Topeka. Not across the country from her parents, but close enough for the occasional Christmas and Thanksgiving visits. After Gabriels proclamation of a world with no Nephilim, when he had come to find out of her pregnancy, Josiah had immediately moved them to Lawrence given that it was where he was most familiar with. "I got a phone call from Mary Winchester this mornin'. She wants us to come over for dinner tonight." _

_"Alex.. I'm not sure how comfortable I feel with befriending a woman who was a hunter her entire life." Josiah confessed, ducking his head down to his chest in shame. Alexandria pressed her lips together in a thin line as she slowly stepped closer to her husband and outstretched her hand to rest his own on the growing swell of her stomach. _

_ Gabriel was going to kill him. _

_"She's very sweet, Josiah. Her husband wasn't a hunter. John works as a mechanic in town to pay their bills before Mary has her baby in January. They're good people." She pleaded. "I don't want to spend the rest of our lives together confined to four walls and a roof. I want to meet people, explore.. I want a good life for our baby boy."_

_Josiah inhaled deeply and ran his hands through his hair, turning Alexandria around in his arms and pulling her back loosely to his chest. His calloused hands rested over his son as they gazed at the horizon together, the sky illuminated in hues of deep red and gold as the sun began to fade over the treeline. _

_"Did you make that casserole this morning before we went to the baby store in town?" Josiah whispered, grinning against the shell of her ear as Alexandria burst into fits of laughter. "I'm sure John would kill to try that fantastic cooking."_

_ **February 1st, 1979 - Reagan Carter** _

_Josiah sat calmly beside his wife as she exhaled sharply through her nose, now deep into her seventh hour of labor with their son. Mary and John were both sitting outside with baby Dean in the waiting room for the much anticipated arrival of the first Carter baby. "Are you ready to let me take away your pain now, you stubborn woman?" He mused, his palm lit an intense gold. _

_Alexandria threw her head back against the pillow and grit her teeth behind closed lips. "This-This is what women do, Josiah! We bleed and we pull through our pain because at the end, we get to learn how to fall in love for a lifetime when we see that baby. So-" The raven haired woman gasped when her husbands palm rested against her forehead, sending a wave of warmth through her body and seemingly bringing her pain to a halt. _

_"Better?" He mused, grinning widely as she rolled her eyes at him. "I'll just tell the doctors you received your epidural from one of the nurses. I'd like my son to come out in one peace if at all possible, sweetheart." Josiah watched the tension seep from her body as her eyes, now a vibrant gold, focused on the ceiling. "The birth of a Nephilim is not easy. Your pain will return. I want you to **survive **this. To be able to tell the story that you did the impossible." _

_Less then five hours later, young Reagan Carter came into the world._

Less then two years later, Alexandria gave birth to another child before she and Josiah ultimately decided to no longer have children. While it took several years for the power to fully manifest through the Nephilim, it was with their second child that it truly began to flow. 

While she was a hurricane, there was no chaos in her wake. 

And now you're at the start of the story. 

You may think this is just your typical story of a heroine who started at the very bottom - the epitome of self doubt, a girl without a father, living in a world where she has no idea of how to begin to live. Where she would like to no longer be hunted, to be able to just _give in _to the loneliness ebbing away at the facade she's so desperate to keep. 

I'm getting too far ahead of myself. Why won't we continue from here? Keep in mind - this is not a happy story. It's one of irreparable loss, grief, anger, and further in... Of _love. _

\------------------

** _"Castiel never does anything without cause. That's what drew me to him.. He is a true man of honor. That's all I've ever wanted." _ **

\------------------


	2. Bond

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A big brother and his little sister learn to face the world together.

{Reagan James Carter} 

"_You know what they say about siblings, Josiah." Alexandria murmured as she leaned back into her husbands embrace, his hands splayed across her stomach as they watched Cleopatra and Reagan together in the living room. The young blonde was faithfully sat beside his sister, trying to explain in thorough detail to the three year old how he'd constructed the foundation of Legos displayed in front of them. "That boy is going to protect her for the rest of his life." _

_Josiah snorted and buried his face in the mass of raven curls that clouded his vision. "That's if she doesn't take all his legos first. I caught them going at it earlier when Cleo went for his toys in the Enochian chest in the corner of their bedroom." The angel and his wife stepped into the doorway of the bedroom, grinning widely as both of their children turned to face them with wide eyes and the eager grins that every child expressed when they were happy. _

_Lucky for them, they were always happy. _

_Until they weren't. _

Age 5 (C) and 6 (R): Meeting Uncle Gabriel

_"Cleopatra! Come join us out on the patio!" Alexandria called out. The young mother tied her hair into a tight ponytail and moved towards the windowsill to open the window, sunlight pouring through the glass and casting an iridescent glow on the kitchen. The room was overwhelming with the scent of freshly baked apple pie and homemade lemonade - requested by Josiah who had been anxiously awaiting the return of his oldest friend. "Josiah, honey, you need to stop pacing. You're going to run your son ragged with all the things you're trying to make him do." _

_Josiah inhaled deeply and turned out to their fenced in backyard, poising his thumbs just inside the curves of his lips and sharply whistling to gain his sons attention. "I can't help it, Alex. Let us not forget that this is the same archangel who very specifically demanded that I not conceive children with a human because Nephilim are dangerous." _

_"He was wrong, sweetheart. Our Nephilim are not dangerous." She replied softly, scarlet lips pressed into a red line as she lightly squeezed his hand as a source of comfort. "They have the purest souls of any child I have ever come across. They do not know darkness.. and I hope it remains that way." _

_Before the two could continue their conversation, Cleopatra skidded to a stop in the doorway of the porch, jaw dropped in shock as a figure dropped from the sky and landed in their yard; six golden wings outstretched before him. "Mommy! Look at the angel!!" She cried out joyfully, gaping as the figure lifted his head to reveal two alluring whiskey colored eyes that always seemed to shimmer mischievously. _

_"I'm not just any angel there, sweetheart." He called out, folding his wings inward and shaking his head to push his hair out of his face. "I'm Gabriel The Archangel, and I just so happen to be the best Uncle on this side of Heaven!" _

Age 8 (C) and 9 (R)

_While the Carters had assumed their children would have a difficult time integrating with other humans, the two of them were proven wrong the very first day Cleopatra had come home from school with her hand locked in Reagans; eagerly awaiting to recant her day to her parents. _

_Reagan Carters devotion towards his sister was only further proven three years later. _

_"Cleo!" Reagan called, standing to the edge of their elementary schools playground. Cleopatra had been getting along well with the other children, bouncing around with the younger girls she'd befriended until she grew tired of the activity she was participating in. Reagan Carter knew the magnitude of the power he possessed. He was a soldier who envied the naivety of his baby sister. "C'mon Cleo! Momma's here!" _

_Before she could grab her backpack and run to meet her brother, a much older boy gripped the straps of the backpack and yanked her backwards, throwing her forcefully into the mulch. Reagan threw his backpack to the side and immediately took action, sprinting through the dissipating crowd and skidding to a stop at his sisters feet. "Get out of here, freak." The schools bully, a brunette boy named Jonathan Black who towered at least three or four inches over the siblings, growled in response. Reagan rose an eyebrow and glanced down at his feet, where Cleopatra had made no move to stand and had instead focused on evening out her breathing. _"_I'm not done with your baby sister." _

_The blonde knelt down and gripped her ankle, fingers laced around the fabric of her jeans as he recognized the shimmer of gold that clouded her blue green irises. He admired her stoic composure, but he wished she would learn to fight for herself. Learn how to stand up and keep walking even when the world was trying to knock her down. _

_Reagan stood to his feet and evened out his shoulders as his expression darkened, eyes lit a dangerous gold as he flicked his wrist towards the opposite side of the playground where there was a patch of grass preceding the tree line that lead into the woods. "You are now." _

_Jonathan yelped as he slammed against the ground, his lungs heaving for air as he cried out for help. Cleopatra lifted her eyes to the clouds that inhabited the sky, tilting her head to the side as she studied the marvelous blue that seemed to never end. It wasn't long before she was met with the grinning expression of her older brother that she felt confident enough to stand from the ground. _

_"He's not gonna hurt you again, Cleo." Reagan murmured, bringing the eight year old to his chest as they began making their way to their mother standing on the top of the hill. "Not as long as I'm still breathing." _

Age 11 (C) and 12 (R)

_"Dad?" Reagan groaned, trudging out of the house and scanning the two tables that lined their back porch. "Are you going to tell me the point of all of this? Why I need to learn how to fire a gun? What the point of holy water is? I'm more powerful then Uncle Gabe for Gods sake!" Josiah whipped around and scolded his oldest son, eyes flashing dangerously which only caused the child to recoil in fear of punishment. "Okay, my mistake. But again.. I do not see a point in this!" _

_Josiah scooped up a elongated, sharp silver blade from the weapons collection behind him and twirled it between his fingers. "You are lacking in your lessons, Reagan. Your sister has far exceeded you in most topics, including weapons and tactics of a hunter. Do you remember the night that the Winchesters moved away?" Reagan shuddered at the memory. He remembered waking up in his bedroom to his room basked in orange, the flames dancing across the shadows it cast on his walls. By the time he had made it to his window, The Winchesters house next door was completely engulfed in flames. _

_He would never forget the fear on Dean Winchesters face as he cradled his six month old brother Sam on the hood of their 1967 Chevy Impala._

_"Yes." He replied solemnly. "Their mother burned on the ceiling because of a demon. You told me about that.'' Josiah nodded firmly and tossed his angel blade through the air, grinning as Reagans reflexes kicked in and the 12 year old leapt through the air to catch it. "I do not want that to happen to any of us. Least of all Cleo." _

_"And why is that?" _

_Reagan peered closely at the blade in his hands, gently running the pad of his thumb over the Enochian symbols carved into the handle. "She has not been face to face with her darkness yet. I don't want her to lose that precious naivety she has kept.. I want her to remain in wonder of the Universe our Heavenly Father has created for the rest of her life. She is pure as star light, and I don't want that to change." Before he could continue his confession, a startled cry broke the silence as Cleopatra materialized on top of the bed of sunflowers Alexandria had been tending to for the past ten years, essentially crushing the flowers with the weight of her fall. "Speak of the Devil." _

_"That's almost offensive." She retorted sarcastically. _

_"Well, I think I have a new nickname for you." The familiar baritone of their Uncle called out, chuckling as Cleopatra stuck out her tongue and fumbled with the sunflower petals now scattered through her hair. "Sunflower." _

_Reagan turned his back to the trio and scanned the table to choose his poison, his eyes falling on the worn leather book that sat on the edge of the table. He gently cradled it in his hands and ran his fingers over the engraving in the front, his eyes softening as he traced the outline of the name that the book had once belonged to. A most precious possession to a remarkable woman. _

_ **Mary Winchester** _

Age 12 (C) and (13) 

_The cold winter air nipped at their skin as Alexandria ushered out the few guests who were lingering after Cleopatras birthday party, the mood joyful as the 12 year old gathered all her presents into one thick pile beside the Christmas tree. Josiah and Gabriel were tending to cleaning up the kitchen, and Reagan was sat on the stairs watching the entire endeavor through weary eyes. _

_It had been a long day, and the possession in his pocket seemed to be growing heavier and heavier as he stared longingly at the Christmas tree in the corner of their living room. _

_"Reagan?" Alexandria called out softly, peeking her eyes over the back of the sofa as she wrapped herself tighter into the navy blue cotton blanket. "Do you want to give your sister her present now?" He nodded softly and stood to his feet, removing the locket from his pocket as Cleopatra glanced upward to meet his gaze from where she sat beside the fireplace. "Cleo darling, your brother has something very special he wants to give you." _

_Reagan knelt down beside his sister, clad in military green coat and flannel pajama pants, his eyes solely focused on his sibling as he produced the locket he'd been hiding from her for the past three weeks. He watched as her expression turned to one of awe, her fingers gently grazing over the silver lid of the locket. "Reagan, it's beautiful!" _

_He snorted softly as Cleopatra opened her palm, allowing him to rest it in her hand. "It better be beautiful, it took three weeks for the blacksmith in Heaven to make it." He replied. "Uncle Gabe will try to tell you he had the dominant say in how it was made, but that's bogus. Don't listen to him." _

_Gabriel guffawed from where he stood in the kitchen, his jawline hidden by the mass of bubbles he had formed into a makeshift beard. "I beg your pardon, sir. I'm offended by your comment!" He cried. Reagan rolled his eyes as Cleopatra burst into fits of melodious laughter. _

_"It's a very special locket. The engraving on the outside is my favorite poem written in Enochian." He said softly, unclamping the necklace and gently fastening it around her neck. "You're going to have to learn how to actually read it if you want to know what it says." _

She would never forget the look on his face when her brother walked back up the stairs. 

Pensive, brooding, as if he was wanting to remember the last moments of an unforgettable Christmas. 

_Reagan paused in the center of the hallway and slowly closed his eyes, listening to the sounds and deeply inhaling the scents that made this house his home. _

_Cleopatra's laughter. _

_The gentle flutter of angel wings. _

_Cinnamon and gingerbread candles. _

_A golden glow cast on the wall from the lights of the Christmas Tree. _

_Classic Christmas instrumental. _

_His mothers eyes. _

_The utter love and devotion that he always saw on his fathers face. _

That was a Christmas that he always wanted to remember. 

Because it would be the last one. 


	3. Light A Candle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loss is not easy to cope with, especially when it's your sibling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have this fic uploaded on another website and am planning to transfer the entire thing plus its sequel over here, so please enjoy!

** _"Light a candle for each one you've lost." _ **

** _\---------------------------------_ **

** June 1992 **

"Josiah, you can't leave town right now! Our kids have just finished with school and you and I are just now finished settling in at in the local university as professors. We can't just pick up and leave town!" Alexandria snapped, watching as her husband rifled through their belongings until he came upon the Enochian trunk hidden in the back of their closet. "And you are _not _taking my son hunting!" 

The former angel turned around to face his spouse, who was fuming as she leaned against the doorway with her arms crossed over her chest. He knows he had struck a nerve when he mentioned their 13 year old - The two of them had agreed unanimously upon the birth of both of their children that they were going to do everything in their power to keep them out of the life of hunting. "Alex, honey," He said quietly as he pulled his angel blade from the trunk. "John called me last night. He's back in town with Dean and Sam, and he needs backup for a hunt. We're the only hunters in the area, and John has been a good friend to me. I need to help him eradicate the threat to Lawrence." 

"You're incorrigible sometimes, you know that?" 

All she could elicit from him was a chuckle. "I know, but we made vows to each other. And I promise you that I'm going to be coming back to you, fully functioning, with _our _son right beside me." Josiah proclaimed, standing to his feet and moving to cross the gap between the two of them. A sob broke past Alexandrias lips as she threw her arms around her neck and buried her face in his shoulder. "You have nothing to worry about, sweetheart. I'm coming home."

''You better be." 

Down the stairs in their family room, Cleopatra sat curled up on the sofa with the _Enochian Lore _book tucked in her hand, legs hidden by a thick cotton blanket. Hidden beneath the blanket was her own angel blade, her fingers gently running along the Enochian runes carved into the hilt. "Alright." Reagan heaved his duffel bag down the last of the stairs and set it beside the doorway. "There's my life for the next week." 

The raven haired beauty peers over the sofa to quirk an eyebrow at her brother. "Where are you going?" She questioned. Her brother turned away from the door to manage a weak smile - hoping it was enough to sate her growing nerves. "And why is your bag so big?" 

"Dad and I have to go out of town for the next few days." Reagan replied as he rounded the sofa and lifted her feet to set them in his lap. "It's a short trip to meet the Winchesters for something. But I promise you, sunflower, that I'm gonna be back for the fireworks on the Fourth. Uncle Gabe said it's gonna be a doozy this year." Cleopatra furrowed her brow and muttered quietly under her breath, setting the Lore book on the coffee table before leaning forward to wrap his fingers around her angel blade. 

"Take it." She said quietly. "You're going hunting, and that right there is the best weapon in the entire Universe. Not everyone gets to have one. When you come home.. bring it back to me. That's how I know you're gonna be alright." The two siblings stare at one another with a fierce expression of what looked to be fear and pride as Reagan tucked the blade into his jacket. A silly grin spreads across Cleopatras face as Reagan stood to his feet to outstretch his arms for a hug. 

"Hug me."

_Who was she to know it would be the last hug to give? _

Josiah gazed at his children as he and Alexandria stood in the living room, fingers clutching his own duffel bag as the rev of an Impala's engine sounded from their driveway. The former angel sweetly kissed his wife before turning to his daughter, who was staring at him with wide eyes filled with tears, just as she had her very first day of Kindergarten. "I'll see you later, baby. Take care of your momma for me, okay?" 

"Okay Daddy." 

The knock sounding on their door was akin to the slamming of a judges gavel - loud and taunting, a signal to say that this was the end. The family watched as Josiah moved to open the door, greeted by blaring sunlight and the faces of John and Dean Winchester; who they had not seen since the night their house had burned in 1983. "Josiah, Alexandria.." John nodded to the two of them before his eyes settled on their kids. "Long time no see." 

"It has been quite a while John. It's a pleasure to see you," Josiah rested his hands against his wives shoulders and peered around her to nod firmly at Dean, who couldn't seem to tear his eyes away from Reagan. "And Dean as well." Dean entered the house without another word and gripped the straps of Reagans duffel bag, shuffling past the group and back out to the Impala where they could see Sam curled up in the back seat.

She missed the look he’d casted her over his shoulder - Almost as if he was committing her face to memory. 

"Are we ready?" 

"I believe so." John Winchester turned on his heel and motioned to his son to follow him back out to their vehicle, leaving Cleopatra and Alexandria with one more moment to bid farewell to the men of the family. Josiah managed a weak smile as he cupped Alexandrias face in his warm hands, calloused from years of fighting wars in Heaven, and gently brushed his lips against her own. "I love you. _Both _of you. I'll see you in a week, okay? Gabriel will return around the same time and we will celebrate the Fourth together." 

Cleopatra waved to her brother as her father kissed the top of her head before turning to his son. Reagan met her piercing gaze with a soft smile, twirling her angel blade around in his fingers before the two men left the house, shutting the door behind them. "Do you think they're going to be alright, Mama?" 

She'd never forget the pensive expression on her mothers face as she subconsciously twisted the band on her finger, which felt as if it now weighed a thousand pounds. "I'm not sure, flower. Your daddy is a good man who hasn't broken any promises to me so far," Alexandria whispered, running her fingers through her daughters hair as Cleopatra wrapped her arms around her waist. "I'm just hoping he makes do with that." 

_ One Week Later _

Rain. Most people would classify it as the watering of the Earth - helping the crops to flourish, giving nourishment to the flowers and filling the rivers and lakes to their brim. Like a cup nearly spilling over. For Cleopatra, rain would be the constant reminder of a day where her entire world was lost.

Her mother had been home from school for over an hour - Having immediately retreating to her study to tweak her lesson plans for the University, which left the 12 year old to her own homework in the family room. She had been curled up on the sofa for the greater majority of the day, having been crippled by sharp pains in her heart and her lower back. Pain killers had not sated her increasing pain, which was continuously ebbing away into a numbing ache the closer to her brother and fathers arrival. 

Josiah had called her late last night to ensure that they were closing in on their target, and the two of them would be returning that following afternoon. 

A pounding knock sounded from the front door at the same time that the clock struck six o'clock. Cleopatra stood to her feet, desperate to ignore the resounding pound of the hands moving on the clock as she made her way to the front door. 

_Tick. Tick. Tick. _

She stood on her tiptoes and peered through the peep-hole, her eyes narrowing in on Gabriel, who was standing further down on the sidewalk with a man she didn't recognize beside her. In his arms was what looked to be a young blonde boy, and in the other angels arms, a much larger man with dirty blonde hair similar to her fathers. Her heart slowly crawled into her throat as Gabriel slowly made his way to the door, his whiskey eyes softening as he recognized the frantic pounding of her heart on the opposite side. 

"Cleo, sweetheart.." He begged. It was then through the haze of rain that she was able to clearly see his face, which was streaked with tears. Gabriel had been one of the many constants in her life for as long as she could remember, but she could not directly pinpoint a time where she had seen him _cry. _"You need to let me in." 

"MOM!" 

Alexandria Carter rushed down the stairs as everything began moving in slow motion; her breath stolen from her lungs as Cleopatra moved to open the door, only for both of them to be greeted with an equally distraught Gabriel, who was cradling the body of her son against his chest. The 12 year old fell to the floor in a heap, eyes vacantly cast on the glimmering of a blade tucked into his jacket pocket, the Enochian runes taunting her as they glowed ominously in the dim light of their home. 

_I tried, baby sister. I tried so hard. _

"I don't know what happened, Ria." Gabriel began, moving into the living room to lay Reagan, pale and motionless, on the sofa. "I heard his distress call from Heaven, and I felt the Earth physically tremble whenever Reagan was.. whenever he was stabbed. When a Nephilim dies.. It sends a cosmic shock wave through Heaven, and everyone felt it." His eyes shifted to the girl on the floor, whose fingers were digging so deeply into her palms that drops of blood had begun to fall onto the ground. "And I know she felt it, because of the bond between Nephilim is strong. When he's in pain, so is she. It's tragically beautiful in a sense." 

Cleopatra slowly crawled over to Reagan and pulled the blade out of his jacket, a broken scream tumbling past her lips as she chucked the blade across the room, directly piercing the middle of their family picture that had been taken the previous summer. The corpses of her father and older brother remained un-moving on the sofas, the room cast in an eerie grey hue from the impending thunder storm outside; perfectly conveying the rush of emotions swirling through her brain as she struggled to regain her breath. 

_Oh gods, I can't breathe... I-I can't-t-_

Two warm arms wrapped around her middle and hoisted her into the air, only to be greeted by the familiar whiskey irises of her Uncle; who had begun to whisper softly in her ear to silence the wounded screams of her mother in the foyer. Even as Gabriel laid her to sleep in the bedroom she had been sharing with her brother since their childhood, she lifted her blue green irises to gaze at the now empty tomb that sat only feet beside her. 

"**_This place will become your home. _**

** _This place will become your tomb." _ **

A lone candle sat in the corner of the bedroom by her desk, a stray scarlet lighter beside it for when they experienced power outages. Cleopatra sat up at the waist in her bed, pale skin streaked with tears as she snapped her fingers; and an single orange flame danced against the shadows of her wall. "Light a candle for each one you've lost, my dear." She whispered, snapping her fingers again only to light a second candle which ad seemingly appeared out of nowhere.

And on the week of July 4th, 1992 - A shattering, mournful cry of a young Nephilim echoed through the gates of Heaven, and one young Seraphim in his garrison heard her cries. 

That was how he found himself on Earth years later, angel blade poised in his sleeve, cobalt eyes scanning the planes of the city park in Lawrence, Kansas with the orders to eliminate Earths only living Nephilim sent directly from Heaven at the forefront of his brain. 

He was sent to kill her because he _cared _about a_ human. _


	4. Castiel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Castiel meets his soulmate for the first time. Only problem is, she's not his soulmate. She's his mission.

"_What have I done that is so wrong?" She cried angrily, gesturing to the park in front of her. "What have I **ever **done that was so wrong?!" _

_Castiel bowed his head, suddenly shaken by her words. Here he was, having heard her cries for years over the loss of her father and brother; and he had been so close to taking a completely innocent life. One she hadn't even begun to live yet. _

_"Nothing. You've done nothing." _

_\---------------------------------------_

She remembers the funeral as if it happens over and over again, replaying on a constant loop day after day. The pure devastation that racked her mother as Gabriel and Michael lowered the body of her son into the ground. Cleopatra had never met the oldest Archangel until that point, and she never wanted to come face to face with him again. 

It had been raining that day. Large, frigid drops of water that soaked through her thick raven curls; her blue green eyes red rimmed with unshed tears as she watched a thick mound of dirt be placed over top of both the freshly dug graves. The only sounds were that of her mothers hysterical sobbing, and the slow loss of her innocence. She no longer feels peace whenever she sees rain outside her window. 

_Here's to the first day of the rest of your life. _

Graduation day from high school. Her blood runs with excitement over finally finishing the past four years of her schooling, prepared to leave behind all of her friends; most of which only acted as if they cared about her. Most of them knew of the power she possessed. The radiance of the gold eyes she no longer cared to show. 

_This is for you Daddy._

Standing up to the man who she thought loved her, but in fact was the exact opposite. Bruises marked her skin, words clawed their way into her heart, and that lone summer day she decided to do what Reagan had been doing for her during their entire childhood. 

_Stand. _

_This is for you Reagan. _

Coming home to a mostly empty house, ghosts of the past aimlessly wandering through the halls as Cleopatra concocted a simple dinner. Her mother, or what was left of her, mostly took to hiding away in her study and furiously working on her lesson plans for the college. Silence was no longer an enemy, but a welcome friend. 

The first and last day of college. Her 26th birthday. 

_I do this all for you. _

"Momma?" Cleopatra called out. Alexandria had migrated to the living room for the night, soft classical music seeping into the open area from the corner stereo as a tray was placed in front of her. "My graduation day from college is next week. I thought it might be nice to get you out of the house, finally have some happiness for once in the past 14 years." She made no move to respond as her daughter knelt in front of her. "It's been that long. _Fourteen _years, Mama. You’ve been doing so well in the past few that you’ve been going to that counselor... I just want you to be okay." 

It had taken at least five years to pull Alexandria out of the hole she had been trapped in since the funeral. After careful time and consideration, and a little help from another counselor who she had become good friends with.. Her mother was slowly beginning to return to her normal self. The same buoyant woman who used to gambol around the house in the embrace of her lover, eyes shining with adoration as laughter echoed in the halls. 

What a time that had been. 

Stunning emerald eyes met her own as Alexandria turned her head and managed a weak smile to her daughter. "I'm sorry darling," She said quietly, running her hands over her face. "I've just been so tired recently with everything that has occurred at the University since your fathers death." The mothers lips trembled as she cupped her daughters face in her hands. "I have grown so proud of you, Cleopatra. You are strong, and resilient, and so _brave_. Your brother and your father would be so proud of you." 

_I did this all for you._

Sunlight poured onto the students of The Washburn University as their white robes sat against strong shoulders, faces cast towards the valedictorian as she was the first to receive her diploma. You should have seen the joy on her face whenever Alexandria witnessed her daughter walk down the center of her stage, eyes glistening with un-shed tears as she eagerly waved to her mother. Criminology diploma weighed heavily in her hand as the raven haired woman returned to her seat, sunlight flickering in her sea foam irises as she gazed upon her mother and her aunt Rose, who had traveled from South Carolina with her family for the endeavor. 

If you looked close enough.. You could just vaguely make out two forms sitting on either side of the two woman; massive golden wings stretched out along the length of the bleachers.

Time went on, as it always does. Cleopatra opted to use the money her father had left behind for her in a savings stored in their bank to purchase her first apartment; Arguing that Lawrence was a small town, and that a woman like herself with a degree in Criminal Justice to help protect the lives of innocents was a necessity. 

Alexandria packed her things and moved thirty minutes away to a townhouse in Topeka, securing a job as an Ancient History professor at the University of Topeka less then a year after watching her daughter graduate from college. The day she packed the remainder of their family home for the past twenty six years, the two women stood in the foyer and took the time to really gaze upon the house that held so many memories of their family. 

"I'm going to miss this place." Alexandria murmured, kissing the pads of her fingers and running them along the banister that lead to the second floor. Cleopatra tucked her angel blade into the sheath that wrapped around her thigh, carefully winding her arms around her mothers shoulders and kissing the top of her head. "Love was here." 

"_Love died here." _

It was the week between the transition from summer to fall when he appeared in Lawrence. Castiel emerged from the treeline that surrounded the park, hands buried deep in the pockets of his trench coat as his cobalt eyes swept over the children gamboling along the mulched area of the playground. He had not been to Earth in quite some time, but had always admired both the ferocity and tenderness of humans. While they had the capability to kill, they also loved so deeply even when they were more likely to be wounded by the ones they love most.

Castiel had his orders. 

The Seraphim gazed around the park and traced the inside of his palm with the pad of his thumb, angel blade weighing heavy in his coat as his feet began to lead him forward into the pathway that traveled through the park. The smell of daisies and sunflowers was heavy in the air, chilled by the coolness of fall and exuding laughter from the playful children that ran around on the playground. On the curve of the path sat a row of old wooden benches from the early 1960’s, worn from years of use and carved with the initials of people who had come and gone. 

And on one of those benches sat a beautiful raven haired woman, her expression a mix of hidden pain and an unfelt sensation of serenity as her eyes fell on a younger blonde boy who was beginning to make his way closer to her. Castiel tilted his head in confusion as he fell into the recesses of his mind for the name of the Nephilim he had been sent to exterminate, in the name of the Heavenly Father. 

_Cleopatra Carter. _

“This is the Nephilim?” He murmured quietly. Castiel had been taught since his fledgling years that Nephilim were the most destructive creatures in the world; being the child of an angel and a human. She had the characteristics of a human on the outside, but on the inside.. pure angelic grace flowed through her veins. They had the capability to tear the fabric of time to _shreds. _If they were in the mood, they could kill anyone, regardless of power, with a snap of their fingers. And here was the last living Nephilim.. sitting on a park bench, watching children.

_Innocent. _

“You know, you’re speaking your thoughts.” A soft voice called out. His cobalt eyes snapped up to meet those of the woman, who had turned her attention away from the kids and was now staring at him with such an intensity that it made his vessel quake. “And you can stow the angel blade. I’m not in the mood to kill you.” 

“How did you-“ 

Cleopatra tapped her temple with the end of her finger. “Don’t forget that I have the same magical powers you idiots all have. Healing, flying, some seriously lethal skills with a blade and more importantly.. _mind reading._” She tilted her head and pursed her lips, eyes narrowing as she patted the seat beside her. “I’ve been running from all of you for so long that it becomes rather easy to identify an angel when I see one. But you.. you aren’t like the others. You’re softer and much more compassionate. Please sit.”

Castiel nodded weakly and took his seat beside her, hands awkwardly fumbling in his lap as she relaxed into the bench and returned her attention to the children. A blonde boy not much older then seven raced up to the wooden ledge that separated the grass from the mulch, flashing a toothy grin and waving eagerly at Cleopatra. She returned it with a subtle wink and a soft smile as the young blonde sprinted back across the playground to his group of friends. "You hold much love for the children here." Castiel murmured. "It is quite remarkable.''

"He reminds me of the brother I lost years ago." Cleopatra replied. "Happy. Hopeful. Ready to take on the world with a snap of his fingers. But underneath that facade.. A hardened soldier who did everything in his power to protect his little sister-" She motioned back to the group of children where the same blonde boy was now standing with his arms wrapped around the shoulders of a much younger brunette girl, who looked to be at least two or three years his junior. "From the inevitable darkness." She tilted her head and turned her weight so she was facing the hunched over angel. "What is your name?" 

"Castiel." He said softly. She took the time to truly study the mold of his face; from the subtle rise of his cheekbones to the unmarred skin of his jaw, the long black lashes that shielded his cobalt eyes that were so deep she was sure she could get lost in them. His deep black hair was mussed as if he'd been running his fingers through it, parted to the side to give a clearer view of his face. 

It came to her almost immediately when he spoke his name. 

_Castiel - Shield Of God. _

_"_What about you?" He asked. She extended her hand in greeting and wrapped it around his own, fingers dancing along his knuckles as her lips parted into a brilliant smile. "What is your name?" Shock waves spread through her body as the two of them met each others eyes, and for a fraction of a moment.. Cleopatra swore she'd known this angel her entire life. 

"_Cleopatra Carter." _Cleopatra remarked. She gently pried her hand away from his own and sighed deeply, creating a larger gap between herself and the angel for fear of his answer to her impending question. "Tell me, Castiel.. are you here to end me? To be the one that buries me six feet in the ground?" 

"You are an abomination." The instantaneous response from his lips made her stomach clench as Castiels expression became stoic. "I was sent here to remove you from this Earth and take you back to Heaven to be with your father and brother. This is no place for a creature such as yourself." 

The indignant expression on her face would have been amusing if he wasn't standing feet away from her with the angel blade now wrapped tightly in his fingers. "Well, of course I happened to be wrong about you." Cleopatra spat bitterly. "All of you angels are the same. When you receive an order, you execute it. Even if it's morally incorrect." Castiel swallowed thickly as her sea-foam colored eyes flickered to a dangerous tawny gold, an aura of raw anger emanating from her form. "What am I abominating, Castiel? What am doing that is so _wrong?" _

He heaved a sigh of defeat and ran his hands over his face. "To me, you have done nothing. You are only doing the same as I do, admiring the beauty of humanity." Castiel slumped back down in the bench and rested his chin against his hands. "I do not favor killing unless absolutely necessary. It is because you are a Nephilim that Heaven is afraid of the power that you possess." 

"Oh, believe me. I'm more then well aware. It's that reason exactly why my older brother and my father were killed whenever I was twelve." Cleopatra grit her teeth behind thinned lips out of the want for retaliation, her anger not directed at the Seraphim.. but the entirety of Heaven for not lending aid when she cried for help. "I come here so I'm not wallowing in my own loneliness at my house. I began praying that God would bring me happiness, and not three seconds later.. You came strolling up the path." 

Castiel felt the tension alleviate from his muscles the moment her fingers made contact with the fabric of his coat. He swallowed the lump in his throat and lifted his eyes to meet the stunning gold only inches away from his own. Just the sight of them, the pure majesty of _her, _made his heart skip beats in his chest. 

"Are you my happiness, Castiel?" 


	5. Lazarus Rising

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Castiel rescues Dean from Hell and Cleopatra informs him he's made the wrong choice. The Winchesters meet the girl that disappeared from their life.

"_I raised a human from perdition today. I did something good.. I saved a man who will be Gods hands and feet." Cleopatra gazed deeply into his eyes and lightly brought her hand to rest upon his face, jumping backwards in shock as she was met with the memory of two stunning emerald eyes she was sure she'd never see again. _

_"You didn't save Gods hands and feet, Cassie." She whispered. "You saved Dean Winchester. That's the man furthest from God you can find."_

_\------------------------------------------------------_

"Yeah Mom," Cleopatra murmured, sinking into the warmth of her sweater as she brought her knees to her chest. It was growing nearer to the end of fall, the bitter chill signaling the impending arrival of what she hoped was to be her first joyful winter since Reagan's death. "I'm good. I'm the best I've been in.. quite a while, really." 

Alexandria Carter had been on the phone with her daughter for a better part of an hour, curious to know why she had halted their bi-weekly conversations for the past month. "_Oh, really? I didn't realize. Did you catch the attention of a handsome man?" _

Since the day she'd met Castiel in the park, he had made an effort to meet her in the exact same spot at least once a week; claiming he was interested to know more about her story and the exact reason why there was so much untold tragedy lingering in the deep of her tawny gold irises. 

"Well," Cleopatra replied. "That's one way to put it. He.. He's sweet." Her eyes flickered upward and softened when she recognized the trench coated figure of Jimmy Novak; the vessel Castiel had taken upon his arrival to Earth for the first time in a millennium. "His name's Castiel, and he has.. an intriguing story. I'll let you know more later, okay?" 

"_Okay sweetie. Just.. be careful. I can't take another funeral." _

Cleopatras breathing hitched as her trembling fingers raked through her messy hair. She had not cared enough to make herself look appealing on that particular day, reiterating constantly that Castiel was an angel and did not focus his attention on a mere Nephilim. She was nothing to him. Not yet anyway. 

"Alright. I love you." She whispered, pressing her thumb against the red phone icon before sliding her cellphone into the pocket of her cardigan. A feeling of ease swept through her bones as Castiel took his place next to her. “Hey you. Where have you been?” 

It was clear based on the state of his hands and the exhaustion on his face that he’d been working feverishly since the last time Cleopatra had seen him. After two weeks of no connection, she had come to rely on the hidden prayers she’d whisper during the day. 

And apparently, he had heard them. 

“I apologize for my absence, Cleopatra.” Castiel murmured, allowing her to take his hand and gently run the pads of her fingers over the bruising that had flowered over his knuckles. “I have been performing works for Heaven.” 

A golden glow spread through her fingers and across his hand, her grace flowing through his veins as she mended the ebrasions. “What kind of works? Killing Nephilim?” Cleopatra mused, her joke falling flat as Castiel tilted his head in confusion. “You really are the equivalent of a completely oblivious puppy, aren’t you?” 

“I don’t know how that would be possible, given that you are the only living-“ 

She held up a hand to halt his sentence. “Don’t mention it.” Cleopatra said. Her sea foam eyes narrowed as she realized that Castiel would not meet her gaze directly. “Whatever you’ve been doing, it must be secret enough for you to not meet my eyes. You just so happen to wear your emotions in those cobalts of yours.” 

The Seraph sighed deeply and hunched over, pulling his hand out of her grasps and running them over his smooth features. “I have been... strategizing on how to rescue this human from Perdition. I was successful in doing so yesterday. It’s why I have not come to see you.” 

Cleopatra shifted her weight towards him and slowly raised her fingers to his temple, willing her eyes to shut as she slowly moved into his memory. It was one of the first things he’d taught her about the angelic powers that Gabriel had never taught her about - the access point of human and angelic memories and how to pry them outward and into the open. 

When she was met with a haunted pair of emerald green eyes that she hasn’t seen since that day when she was 12... Cleopatra recoiled backward and wrapped her arms around herself.

”He is to perform works of Heaven as well. He is chosen... Chosen by God to be His hands and feet.” 

Cleopatras eyes gently fluttered open to meet his own softened blues. “Oh Cassie..” She faltered, pulling her bottom lip between her teeth. “You didn’t save Gods hands and feet. You saved Dean Winchester. That’s the man furthest from God you can find.”

***

It was three days later when she heard from him again. Cleopatra had been in the midst of deep cleaning her apartment when a frantic knock sounded at the door, the hollow sound reverberating through the small entry way as she tied her hair into a tighter ponytail and bound towards the door. "Holy horses-" She gasped at the sight of Castiel standing in the doorway, his hands outstretched in greeting with a paper bag. The smell of pumpkin roll and apple cider, clearly the contents from inside, wafted into the apartment and made her mouth water. "Hi Cas. What did you bring me?" 

"Incentive." He replied, striding past her without a second thought and taking his seat on her sofa. "Your favorite pumpkin rolls and cider from that patch in Lawrence that your father took you to as a child with your older brother." When Cleopatra leaned against the opposite wall and crossed her arms over her chest, the Seraph could not help but allow his eyes to wander along the sliver of exposed skin now revealed to him at the base of her hips.

_Father.. _She made him think sinful things.

"You disappeared for three days. I was going to go work a case at work in an hour because I was convinced that you no longer cared about the Nephilim everyone wants dead." For good measure, she winked softly at him, eyes lit bright gold under the shadows of her apartment before they flickered back to the familiar sea foam green he'd grown so accustomed to gazing into. "Something tells me that there's been a development in the case of Dean Winchester." 

"Quite. He has risen from Hell, and is currently trying to track me as we speak." Castiel awkwardly wrung his hands in his lap as he struggled to form a logical explanation for the true voice and form of angels, and how they were required to take a vessel every time they stepped foot on Earth. Dean had made it quite clear since he had emerged from the Earth that he was less then pleased by the form of communication Castiel had been using to convey to him that he was there. 

Which, to humans, sounded more like a sound that was capable of breaking through the shell of the ear, and clear through the ear-drum. 

"So, I'm still not following you. Why do you need me to go visit one of the only people on this planet that I _never _wanted to see again?" Cleopatra interjected sharply, drawing Castiel out of his trance and his eyes back to hers. 

"This entire altercation will only be successful with your help. You are a powerful being with alot of influence in the lives of the Winchesters." He replied automatically. "They admired your family, once upon a time. I see no reason to believe they would not still hold that same opinion of you." 

"And where are they right now?" 

Castiel slowly tilted his head and began to focus on the summoning ritual that was ringing inside of his head. "A barn. They're trying to summon me, and I would say it is about time I show myself." The Seraph extended his hand and furrowed his brow as she stared at his hand earnestly, keen on memorizing the curve of each finger, the texture of his skin, and the most minuscule scars of his vessel. "Take my hand." 

Before she could even begin to comprehend what was happening, Cleopatra opened her eyes and found herself outside a dilapidated barn in the middle of nowhere. The outer doors were littered in different talismans and sigils, many of which were written in the familiar scribe of Enochian. "They seem pretty keen on getting you here." Cleopatra said quietly, shivering as the temperature around her dropped and the shutters on the roof began to move frantically in the wind. "Knock 'em dead, Cassie." 

"I wish you no harm during this endeavor, Cleop-" When she scolded him for his choice of using her full name, Castiel blushed deeply and allowed his gaze to fall to the ground. "Cleo. Please.. do remember that you knew these humans too. They have your best intentions at heart." 

Cleopatra watched in amazement as the wooden support beams on the doors broke in half, forcefully pushing them inward and granting her visibility of the inside of the room. Her eyes caught sight of two men near the opposite side of the barn; one of which was clearly younger but with a strong gait, fingers locked around the trigger of his gun, his messy blonde hair parted away from the emerald green eyes that had been haunting her since she was twelve. 

Gunshots rang clear in the air simultaneously with each individual light inside of the barn exploding, illuminating the stoic expression on the Seraphims face. It wasn't until the two men realized that their guns weren't affecting the angel that the younger one, _Dean Winchester, _pulled out an ancient knife and held it in front of him. 

"_Who are you?" _

Castiel managed a weak, half smile as his cobalt blue eyes met those of the one he had raised from Hell. 

"_I'm the one who gripped you tight and raised you from Perdition._'' 

Dean snorted and shook his head. "Yeah." He replied bitterly. "Thanks for that." Before she could even utter a warning, the older Winchester sank his blade into Castiels chest, clearly stunned by the lack of blood he had expected to pour from the wound. No wound, no cry of pain.. There was nothing. 

The angel whipped around as the older man lunged at him with his crowbar and pressed two fingers against his head, watching as his knees buckled and he fell unconscious to the ground. Dean looked upward in disbelief before his eyes shifted to the barn doors, where he had just recognized the shape of a woman staring back at him. 

"We need to talk Dean." Castiel reiterated. He too followed Deans gaze to the doors and motioned Cleopatra inside with a swift flick of his wrist. "But first, there is someone who must reintroduce herself to you. It has been quite a while since you met face to face." 

Awe passed across Deans features as Cleopatra moved into the light, her face lit in a warm smile as she meekly waved at Dean. "Hello Dean." She said softly. "It's been quite a while since we've seen each other. You were probably.. I don't know. Fourteen? You came back to Lawrence and took my father and brother out on a hunt. They.. They never returned from it." 

A wicked grin spread across Deans face as he extended his hand to lightly squeeze her shoulder. It wasn't the hug she had been expecting, but it was enough of a start. "Cleopatra Carter as I live and breathe." He murmured in awe. "Still as gorgeous as the last time I saw you." 

"That's saying alot." She mused in response, lightly nudging his hip with her own. "Cause holy crap, you are the epitome of how puberty fares well for men. That jawline though.. You keep looking like that, and I might just swoon." 

If she hadn't felt the jealousy roll off of Castiel in thick, tense waves, she would've continued her pursuit in flirting with the older Winchester. It was the way his eyes narrowed and his fingers curled into fists that made Cleopatra curious to know _why _Castiel was jealous of someone he barely knew. "Back to the topic at hand." He said through gritted teeth, flipping through the lore book that sat on the rickety table beside him. "Your friend is alive." 

Deans expression changed as he moved around Cleopatra, noticing the considerable height difference as he knelt down to press his fingers against Bobby's pulse. He sighed in relief when he found himself greeted with a strong pulse. ''His name is _Bobby._" Dean snapped. "And who are you?"

"Castiel." 

"I figured that much. I mean what are you?" 

He glanced upward from the book and furrowed his brows. "I'm an angel of the Lord." He replied. Deans face fell as he stood to his feet and defensively crossed his arms over his chest, eyebrow raised in question. 

"Get out. There's no such thing." 

Castiel slowly rotated his head in Cleopatras direction and cast a look of annoyance at the raven haired woman. "Is he serious?" He muttered, scoffing as she merely rose her shoulders in a half hearted shrug. "This is your problem, Dean. You have no faith." 

"Never had anything to put my faith into." Dean replied, his voice cut off by the crack of thunder that erupted through the barn, his eyes drawn to the massive pair of wings that were outlined in the shadows. Cleopatra watched in utter astonishment as Castiel unfurled his wings, his eyes locked with hers as they spread along the length of the room before vanishing into the shadows and away from her sight. "Some angel you are. You burned out that poor womans eyes!" 

Cleopatra whipped around and nearly slammed her fist into Castiels arm. "You did _what?!"_

"For the record, I warned her to not spy on my true form." He replied calmly. "It can be overwhelming to humans, as can my true voice. You already happened to know that." 

"You mean the gas station and the motel?" Dean questioned. "That was you talking?" When Castiel nodded, the older Winchester pulled his lower lip between his teeth and lightly shook his head. "Buddy, next time.. lower the volume." 

"That was my mistake. Certain people.. Special people can perceive my true visage. I thought that you would be one of them." He jabbed a thumb at Cleopatra. "She has heard me speak with my true voice once, and it has never caused a problem for her. I happened to be wrong about you." 

Cleopatra shivered at the memory. It was a mere week after the two of them had met in Lawrence, and she had been expectantly waiting at the park for the angel to return to her. Instead of coming himself to explain why he was consistently late, he had spoken to her in his true voice instead. Gabriel had often told her as a child that angels voice were high pitched and rather obnoxious, but there was a sense of comfort she often felt in replaying the conversation they'd had that day when she had heard Castiel's true voice herself. 

"What visage are you in now, huh? Holy tax accountant?" 

"This is a vessel." 

"You're _possessing _some poor-" 

Castiel shook his head before Dean could finish his sentence. "He's a devout man. He actually prayed for this." 

"Look pal, I'm not buying what you're selling." Dean replied sharply. "And if you think bringing the one guilt I've carried on my shoulders since I was 14-" Cleopatra inhaled sharply as Dean shuddered, desperate to hold back the emotion that had caught in his throat. "It's not going to work. So who are you really?" 

She couldn't deny the fact that her heart absolutely melted at his next movement - tilting his head slowly to the side as he regarded the older Winchester with confusion. "Cleo, would you step outside for a moment?" Cleopatra inhaled deeply and nodded, turning away from the two men and jogging out of the open doors of the barn. "I already told you.''

"Right. And why would an _angel _rescue me from Hell?" 

Castiel took several steps forward, cobalt eyes bright as they never left Deans face. "Good things do happen, Dean. Even to angels. Cleopatra.. She happens to be one of those good things." 

"Good things don't happen to me. Not in my experience." 

"What's the matter?" Castiel questioned. He pursed his lips as realization passed over his chiseled features. "You don't think you deserved to be saved?" 

Deans expression remained hard as he reflexively curled and uncurled his fists at his sides. The air inside the Barn had become much more uncomfortable and tense without the presence of Cleopatra to be mediator between the savior and the saved. "Why'd you do it?" 

_ **"Because God commanded it. Because we have work for you." ** _

And somewhere in the back of Castiels mind, he was wondering if Cleopatra was right about his choice to save Dean Winchester. 

\------------------------------------


	6. Choices

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He told her to stay with the Winchesters, but hunting has done nothing except ruin her life since her father and brother were murdered. Cleopatra contemplates what will happen if she keeps running. Run away from her fear, or embrace it and hunt with the brothers who are meant to stop the end of the world?

_"I thought I told you that you needed to stay with the Winchesters?" Castiel questioned. Cleopatra inhaled deeply and turned around to regard the angel, who was watching her with confused cobalt eyes that seemed to glow under the light of the Barn. _

_"I'm not a hunter, Cas!" She snapped unintentionally. "It was hunting that destroyed my life, and I want no part of it!" _

_\--------------------------------------------------------_

It wasn't until dawn when Cleopatra woke from the light sleep she'd been taking against the wall of the Barn. Her eyes slowly fluttered open as a low groan reverberated through her chest, drawing the attention of Dean and the man he called Bobby on the opposite side of the room. "Sleeping Beauty finally rises. Morning sunshine." He drawled, extending his hand to her. "Cleopatra Carter, meet Bobby Singer. One of the best hunters I know.. He's practically family." 

The raven haired woman grinned at the older man as she extended her hand. "Glad to meet another honorary Winchester." She mused, dusting off her clothes as Bobby nodded firmly in respect before her eyes ventured the area of the Barn. Castiel was no where to be seen. "Where did Cas go?" 

"He should've left hours ago, but he was adamant on allowing you to sleep. He's out in the field seeking revelation or some sort of crap like that." Dean replied, pointing outward towards the open field on the opposite side of the road. Sure enough, the figure of Jimmy Novak was standing amidst wildflowers, his eyes cast towards the Earth as he was praying. To who.. she wasn't sure. "Your angel irritates me." 

A deep blush spread across her face and neck. "Who said he was _my _angel?!" She exclaimed. Dean rose an eyebrow in question and shook his head, choosing to cut the subject short as he and Bobby watched Cleopatra walk out into the field to be with Castiel. She pulled her hair back behind her shoulders and cleared her throat to alert the Seraph of her presence. "Hi." 

His eyes immediately lit up at the sight of her. "Did you sleep well? I did not want to wake you.. you looked the most peaceful I have ever seen you in the time we have known each other." Cleopatra inhaled the crisp smell of the morning and stuck her hands deep into the pockets of her jeans, the deep gold of the sun flickering against the sea foam color of her eyes. 

"I did." She whispered. "Thank you for looking after me." 

When a brisk chill blew through the field, it was his next movement that she claims was the start of her slowly falling in love with Castiel. 

Cleopatra shivered against the cold, immediately drawing Cas' attention to her instead of the beauty of Gods creation around him. His eyes swept over her body as she pursed her lips, wrapping her arms around herself to try and conserve body heat. The angel frowned and slowly removed his coat and laid it around her shoulders, his fingers brushing the nape of her neck as she gripped the fabric. 

"You are cold." He whispered in reply, the faintest hint of a smile passing across his face as she nodded in response. Their eyes met for only a moment, a silent understanding and deep connection soon to form passing between them before it was broken by the sound of a sharp car horn. "I believe that is Sam, Dean's brother. I should take my exit."

"Where are you going to go?" Cleopatra questioned. Castiel tilted his head and furrowed his brow as he pondered his answer. "Back to Heaven?" 

"As much as I would like to return to Lawrence with you, I need to receive further orders." Her heart sank as his face returned to the stoic, cold expression she had seen in the Barn upon meeting Dean as he outstretched his hand to take his coat. "I will return to you and the Winchesters at a later time. Make no rash decisions." 

Cleopatra snorted and managed to wave before he was gone with the familiar flutter of wings, leaving her alone with the ever constant ache in her heart. She settled her eyes on the doorway of the Barn where a man not much younger then her stood beside Dean, both pairs of eyes watching her in wonder as she crossed the road to meet them halfway. 

The man beside Dean was most definitely Sam. She had never met him in person before, but he was almost an exact look alike of his brother. It was the eyes that gave his heritage away first - a different shade of green then Deans, but equally as haunted with a completely different story of loss, grief, and tragedy. She knew it well - no hunter lived a happy life.

It was the _smell _that threw her off at first. She wasn't sure whether or not it was her powers in gear as she was introduced to the younger Winchester, who had only come to find out that she was to be joining them for a while in their hunts. Her vision was blurred and her hearing garbled, but Cleopatra was so intently focused on Sam that she never heard Dean call her name. 

Just like angels.. Nephilim could see into the souls of other humans.

And Sams was dark as night, pure obsidian, and _reeking _of evil. 

_"Cleo and Reagan have the purest souls of any children I have ever come across." Alexandria murmured. "They do not know darkness.. and I hope it remains that way." _

"I'm sorry guys. I can't-" She faltered, sprinting behind the Barn and unfurling her wings before Sam and Dean could even protest, confirming she was indeed hidden before flying back to the safety of Lawrence and collapsing in the middle of the park. Her breathing hitched as her head fell into the grass, and Cleopatra found herself looking into the cerulean color of the afternoon sky void of any clouds. "I can't do it. I-I'm not strong enough." 

***

Time passed. Cleopatra continued her tedious life by diving into each case she was given through the surrounding police departments, keeping up with the impending Apocalypse using phone calls between herself and Sam. Her heart ached to see Castiel again.. but she knew the angel had more important things to do. 

It wasn't long after the event in the Barn when she began getting cases involving abnormal deaths - deaths of hunters, mostly. They were always gory; bodies mutilated and sinking into a deep river of scarlet as lifeless eyes stared into nothingness. 

She assumed it was something supernatural. It always was. It wasn't until she got a phone call from Sam _and _her mother on her way to Lawrence from Topeka that it became ghosts instead of something simply supernatural. Sam went into lengthy detail about one of the 66 Seals that had been broken by a demon named Lilith, who apparently had been the one to kill Dean and send him to his thirty year sentence in hell. The first seal had to do with the Witnesses, who heralded the beginning of the Apocalypse.

Guilt began eating away at her gut as the younger Winchester recanted the altercation involving two people he and Dean hadn't been able to save, and the result of the spell Bobby Singer had cast to put them back to rest. 

"_Do you believe in the Devil, Cleopatra?"_

She nearly slammed on the brakes of her car at the abrupt question. Of course she believed in the Devil - Her father had been a freaking _angel. _Their family had gone to church every Sunday up until the time she turned twelve, and then visits became much less frequent. She was the definition of an abomination, one of Gods creations who was to be hunted down for the rest of her days. 

"_He is the Prince of Deceit, Sam. I believe that Satan runs free.. and he's gonna get me one day. You know.. being the two most wanted abominations on this planet." _  
  
She called her mother to assure her nerves that she was alright, relieved to hear the familiar jabber on the other side of the phone. Alexandria claimed she had been putting down ghosts all afternoon with the spare hunting equipment she had taken to Topeka from the house. It was rare enough to hear that her mother had fired a _gun_, being the pacifist that she was. She managed to murmur a goodnight and stay safe before ending the conversation entirely. Cleopatra entered her driveway and immediately frowned at the sight in front of her, eyes now lit gold and narrowed in confusion.   
  
Her front door was open.   
  
Grimacing, the Nephilim quietly exited her car and tiptoed up to her front door, craning her neck to see if she could hear the gentle _tap _of Azrael, her three year old Calico she had adopted only last week. DC comics had become an obsession of hers - but that's a story for another time.   
  
"Hello Cleopatra-" Castiels deep voice reverberated through the room, his sentence cut off as the Nephilim lunged and knocked him clear off his feet which sent the two of them tumbling backwards and onto the kitchen floor. The angel gasped in shock at being caught completely off guard, his vessel quaking at the raw power that emanated from the Nephilim. "_You-are-suffocating-" _  
  
"For all that is good and pure, Castiel!" She shrieked, scampering backwards to the island in the middle of the kitchen. "What the heck are you doing in my apartment?! And why is the front door busted open? You're an angel for God's sake- You can _fly._"   
  
"I flew here from Sioux Falls to ask you a very simple question." The threatening tone in his voice was nothing like the one that had regarded her only days before, when he had noticed her discomfort and draped his jacket over her shoulders. This was the soldier - The Angel of The Lord - who only knew how to execute his orders. "Why are you not with the Winchesters like I told you to be?"

Good Lord. He was _insufferable. _

"Castiel-" She bit, slowly turning around to regard the angel. He was wearing that same expression of confusion as he tilted his head slowly to the side, cobalt eyes glowing in the darkness of her home. "I left them alone at that Barn. I ran like I always do, because.." She pounded her hand flat against her heart and swallowed the bile that was threatening to rise in her throat. "Because I'm _weak. _I don't get what is so hard for you to understand about this! I don't want to be a hunter because all hunting as done for me is destroy my entire world!"

Castiel inhaled through his nose and took a step forward. His eyes swept across her chest as her breathing visibly hitched, trembling fingers digging into the pockets of her jeans as he continued to painstakingly close the gap between them. “Darling,” He began, taking note of the way she visibly shivered at the name. “You are _far _from weak. You are just unfamiliar with what is currently taking place-“ 

“First off, I'm not your darling." She swore she saw a flicker of disappointment pass through his eyes before his expression once again became stoic. "Secondly.. What, the _Apocalypse? _Dean told me about The Witnesses. He told me what you said about what happens after the Seals break. Lucifer-“ She swallowed the bile in her throat and lifted her eyes to meet Castiels. “_Lucifer _walks the Earth.” 

“We-_I _need you to help the Winchesters prevent the Seals from being broken. You are capable of more then you believe. You just not have had the ability to prove it.” His hand slid down her arm to lightly squeeze her own before pulling away. "And they listen to you. Please Cleopatra-" 

That threw her off. Castiel was a soldier. He didn't ask, didn't _plead, _for someone else to help him. 

"At least think about it." 

Swallowing thickly, she managed a weak nod and barely managed to look at the Angel before he disappeared from her sight entirely. The Nephilim took a deep breath and glanced down at her trembling hands, cursing herself for being so vulnerable around the angel as she attempted to return to unpacking her belongings. 

"_Stop glancing down at your hands!" Reagan snapped. He was anxious about leaving for his first hunt with his father the following week, and had come to the decision that his baby sister needed to know how to defend herself without the use of her powers. "Fear is a lie, baby sister. You can't allow it to rule your life. All it will do is kill you slowly." _

_The twelve year old glanced up at her brother with tears in her eyes, lip jutted outward in the classic Cleopatra pout that got everybody in the house to cater to her every whim. Everyone except her older brother. "But-But aren't you always going to be there to protect me, Reag?" _

_"As much as I'd like to, I'm not gonna be around forever." _

Cleopatra exhaled sharply as she tightened her muscles, bringing her focus to calming the tremor in her hands as her phone screen lit up on the island in the center of the kitchen. Her sea foam eyes snapped over to the screen with **_Dean Winchester _**written in dark bold, signaling that she had received a text from him. It was probably developments on preventing the impending Apocalypse. 

Her mind spun as she re-read his message. Once. Twice. Six times. 

** _From: Dean Winchester_ **

** _We've got a development on the end of days. Wanna come join? Sammy wants to meet you!_ **

She couldn't stop thinking about Reagan. How his choice to follow their father, on a _hunt_, had lead the both of them to their inevitable deaths. It was a constant cycle of tragedy for her. What was to happen if she heeded Castiels pleas and followed the Winchesters to the end of the world? 

One word. _Choices. _

To hide away, to cower in fear over the unknown and never face the demons that lurk in the darkness.. To act as if an angel hadn't walked into her life and completely flipped her world upside down. 

Or to follow the path her brother had gone down? To fight the monsters, to be vulnerable, to allow herself to feel those emotions she had tried so hard to repress? Anger, grief, joy, _love? _

Save the world,

Or watch it be destroyed? 

Cleopatra Carter wrapped her fingers around her flip phone and dialed Deans number, poising it between her ear and her shoulder as she crossed her arms over her chest. Castiel had asked for her help.. and the least she could do was listen. 

"_Hello?" _

"Hey Dean. It's me." She tapped her fingers against the inside of her forearm and managed a small smile at the older Winchesters excited jabber as he beckoned Sam across Bobbys living room. "Looks like I'm gonna need you to fill me in on the end of the world." 


	7. It's The Great Pumpkin, Sam Winchester

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The end of the world is nigh, but Sam is a little too excited to meet a real life angel. Cleopatra continues struggling with her feelings for Castiel.

"_Keep making mistakes, Castiel. Keep having that inner battle of obedience versus rebellion, because that's about the closest that you will ever be to a human."_

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - 

Dean had given her as many details as he possibly knew. If Lillith, the Queen Demon of Hell, managed to break the 66 Seals then it was a guaranteed release that Lucifer would be granted from the Cage that God had locked him in eons beforehand. 

She couldn't break the fear that plagued her sleep every night, woken by dreams of fire and blood and the same piercing blue eyes that never seemed to leave her memory. It had been days since she had last heard from Castiel, but it didn't mean that he didn't leave signs for her. A pumpkin roll on a busy morning, a cup of hot apple cider on a cold night. 

It was around Halloween whenever she received a call from Dean. She had opted to stay as far away from hunting as possible, burying herself deep into each case that was thrown her way. What had once been leisurely nights that ended before nine, she had been at the Precinct clear past midnight and into the wee hours of the morning. She read until her eyes blurred, her hands shook, and she passed out on her desk. 

_"Sam and I are working a case, real weird crap. We're thinking it's a witch. And holy crap Cleo, she's older then Jesus Christ." _

Cleopatra grinned widely as she adjusted her beanie with her free hand and nodded softly to the barista in exchange for her latte. The October air nipped at the skin not hidden by the thick scarf as she surveyed the Lawrence park across the street from the cafe she normally occupied after work. "What clue are you working on now?" She quipped, sighing deeply as the warm liquid traveled down her throat. 

_"We just arrived at the chicks apartment. Wanna meet us here? Could make it in a couple hours."_

Before she could give a coherent, firm no, she heard Sams voice cry out in alarm and Dean rush to stop him, uttering that one name she hadn't stopped thinking about for weeks. Dropping her coffee cup, she ducked into the closest alley and unfurled her wings to take off for the location that Dean had given her. 

Cleopatra opened her eyes to the dark purple hues of Sam and Deans motel room, flicking her wrist to further open the door as she stepped inside. Sam remained trained on the trench coated angel in front of him while the elder Winchester whipped around and nearly slammed the butt of his weapon into her face. "Holy _crap. _Where did you-"

"Doesn't matter. I'm here to stop the end of the world, so don't make me regret it." She snapped in response, hands planted firmly on her hips as her eyes fell upon Castiel. "Speak of the blue eyed Seraphim. Where the _heck _have you been for the past, oh.. I don't know. _Month?_" 

Castiel stood to his feet and turned around to face the trio, cobalt irises flickering between Cleopatra and Sam before finally settling on the flabbergasted younger Winchester. He couldn't seem to quite bring himself to meet the disappointed gaze of the Nephilim who looked as if she was ready to rip his wings off of his body. "Oh my God-'' Sam immediately halted and Cleopatra had to stifle a laugh. "I'm sorry. That wasn't- It's an honor to meet you. I've heard a lot about you." 

The two shook hands before Castiel released his grip on Sam. "And I you. Sam Winchester.. The Boy With The Demon Blood. I'm glad to hear you've ceased your extra curricular activities." Cleopatra watched through narrowed eyes as Castiel turned towards her, his tongue darting out to wet his cracked lips as he studied her tense body language. "I am glad you have decided to help the Winchesters, Cleo. They will benefit greatly from it." 

Her icy sea foam eyes met his own, and for a fraction of a second, she swore she saw guilt lingering in the depths of the blues that stared back at her. "My name is _Cleopatra, _sir. Only my family calls me Cleo," She set her jaw and stood toe to toe with the Angel, half tempted to throw him across the room had it not been for the presence of the other Angel who stood behind him gazing out the window. "And you're nowhere near that category." 

"I can't believe you let this insect mock you, Castiel." The angel by the window growled. "She is the scum of the Earth, just like the other two are. _Not worth it._" 

Cleopatra swallowed the bile in her throat and leaned against the wall. Every angel she had come across in the time that had passed since Reagan and Josiah died all said the same thing. Just a Nephilim - Gods greatest mistake - an innocent woman who deserved to _die _for the actions of the one who created her. "Dean- The Rising of Samhain. Have you stopped it?"

"Why?" 

"Dean-" Castiel stated, slightly more firm in his tone. "Have you located the witch?" 

Dean rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest. "Yes, we have located the witch. We called Cleo over there as extra backup, because unlike you, she happens to be useful." Castiel seemed to be completely oblivious to the blatant insult as he continued pestering the Winchesters with questions. 

"Apparently she knows who you are too." He said, snatching a small orange pouch that was unfamiliar to her and holding it in between his fingers. "This was inside the wall of your room. If we hadn't found it, surely one or both of you would be dead." 

"I hate to sound like an imbecile, but do either of you mind explaining to me what that is?" Cleopatra questioned, tilting her head as Castiel handed the pouch over to Dean. Sam furrowed his brow in confusion - unaware that she had not grown up in the life of hunting and was completely clueless as to how witches performed the greater majority of their spell work. He didn't know Cleopatra Carter, but every time he saw her, he was yearning to know more of her story. 

"That there is a hex bag. Filled with ancient crap that witches get off on to gank people." Dean replied. "And to answer your question about where the witch is, we're working on it." Castiel exhaled through his nose and cast his gaze towards the ground. 

"That's unfortunate. The Rising of Samhain is one of the 66 Seals." 

Cleopatra felt her blood run cold. If she ever met Satan, she would probably cower in her boots at the sight of him. Or make a Sunday School joke, or even punch him in the face for being prideful and getting himself cast out of Heaven. She was hoping it was former. 

"So this is about your buddy Lucifer?" She replied, only to be cut off by the angel at the window. 

"_Lucifer is no friend of ours." _

"The breaking of this seal must be prevented at all costs." Castiel interjected. "That is why I hoped that Cleopatra would come to join you, because she is much more powerful then either of you realize."

"Okay, well that's great!" Dean exclaimed. "I can't wait to see her in action. But beforehand, why don't you tell us where the angel is so we can gank her and go home?" 

"We are not omniscient. This witch is very powerful. She is cloaked, even to our methods." 

"Well-" Sam interjected. "If Cleopatra is as powerful as you claim she is, then having her and the two of you with us will make this easy. If we work together-" The angel by the window scoffed and finally turned to face the other four people who stood in the room with him. The moment Cleopatra saw the hateful, ominous eyes and lips curled in annoyance, she immediately recognized him. While it had been years since looking upon his vessel, she had seen her father converse with him multiple times as a young child, and get involved in two altercations that had nearly killed him upon finding out he had brought two Nephilim into the world.

Uriel. 

"Enough of this." Uriel barked. He opened his mouth to speak again but instead caught her eyes, her heart hammering against her ribcage as she uttered a silent prayer that he wouldn't recognize her. "Hm. While I don't know these two buffoons, I'm sure I've seen you somewhere." 

Cleopatra shrugged half heartedly and dug her hands into the pockets of her coat. "I kind of doubt it. I'm just a nobody, and I'll always be a nobody. I'm not important enough to be on any angels radar." 

"Okay, everyone shut up!" Dean ordered, angered emerald irises locked on Uriel. "Who are you, and why should I care about anything that you have to say?" Uriels eyes remained on Cleopatra as he raked through his vessel memories, frowning when he was unable to come upon any that connected with the woman in front of him. 

"This is Uriel. He's what you would a specialist." 

The silence that settled in the room was enough to make Cleopatra wince. Part of her seem to notice that Dean and Sam did as well, under the clear impression that these two angels were under motive. She tucked a stray curl behind her ear and swallowed thickly, holding in the gasp that threatened to break past her lips when she was met with the concerned blues of Jimmy Novak. "You two need to leave this town immediately. And so do you, Cleopatra. _Please-" _He took a step closer to her, desperately wanting to rest his hands on her own like she had done to him when they'd first met, now afraid of the scrutiny his brother would unleash upon him if he did. "Heed my warning."

"Why?" She replied softly. 

"Because we're about to destroy it." 

***

"Are you kidding me?" She shrieked, hands thrown in the air in complete and utter surrender. "And here I thought that the two of you might have some common sense, but you're just like any other angel. Thick headed, stubborn, and _selfish."_

"So your plan to prevent this rising is to smite the entire town?" Dean stated, lightly chewing on his lower lip as he pondered their predicament. 

"We are out of time. This witch has to die, and the Seal must be saved." Cleopatra exhaled slowly and inhaled deeply as she rested her head against the wall and allowed her eyes to drift absently towards the ceiling. She had thought Castiel was better then this - better then sacrificing an entire town of innocent people at the expense of one witch who wanted to bring down the Apocalypse. 

"There are a thousand people here." Sam replied calmly. 

"1,214." 

"And you are willing to kill them _all _at the expense of one witch?!" Cleopatra growled. Castiel tuned into the waves of power radiating off of the Nephilim, gently prying into her mind with his grace in hopes it would calm her down and keep her true identity hidden from Uriel. He merely wanted to perform his Fathers work - not watch the woman he'd come to care for get killed in the midst of it. 

A small smile spread across her face as warmth poured over her, and she felt Castiel pry into the recesses of her mind. He had only done it twice in the time they had known each other, but it was always to calm her down and keep her safe. 

"It's not the first time that I've purified a city." 

Cleopatra gagged at the truth pouring from the mouth of Uriel. She had been under the impression that the God she prayed to, the God she worshiped despite the losses she had endured, was a selfless, graceful Heavenly Father. She loved him. _She still does. _But why were his angels so.. _tainted_? When did murder no longer fall under one of the Ten Commandments that weren't to be broken? 

"Look, I know this is regrettable." Castiel said. "We have to hold the line. Too many seals have broken already." 

"So you screwed the pooch on some seals and now this town gets to pay the price for it?" 

She duly noted the way that Castiel squinted and furrowed his brow when he was confused, adding it to one of the things she found most adorable about the angel who had once brought her happiness. Now.. Now she wasn't sure why she'd let him in to begin with. 

"It's the lives of 1,000 against the lives of six _billion. _There's a bigger picture here." 

"Right.." Cleopatra murmured. "Yes, because you two are bigger picture types of guys. Cause that makes sense when you're trying to justify murdering the very beings you were sent here to protect. Smooth." 

Castiel stiffened as he felt Uriels eyes burning holes into the back of his skull, forcing him to set his jaw and turn towards the lax Nephilim leaning against the wall. "Cleopatra, Lucifer cannot rise." He said darkly, his voice husky as he moved closer to her. "He does and Hell rises with him. Is that really something that you and the Winchesters are willing to risk?" 

"We'll stop this witch before she summons anyone. That way your Seal won't be broken and nobody else has to die!" 

_I know you have lost faith in who I am, Cleopatra. _Castiel spoke softly in her head, eyes still locked with her own. _I will do everything in my power to make that right, but t__hese boys need your help, and so do I._

"We are wasting time with these mud monkeys." Uriel said sharply. Cleopatras fingers gently grazed the cuffs of Castiels coat as he turned away from her to face Uriel and the Winchesters, who were beside themselves at the thought of an entire town being torn apart on their watch. 

"I'm sorry, but we have our orders." His response was so monotonous, so automatic that he seemed to mirror his brothers and sisters in arms. 

"No- You guys can't do this." Sam pleaded. "You're _angels. _Aren't you supposed to - You're supposed to show mercy!" Castiels shoulders hunched at the statement, his eyes focused on the wall as he felt Cleopatra stare directly at him. That was exactly what he had done all those months ago in Lawrence when they'd met; taking mercy upon her and instead choosing to spend his time getting to know the woman he'd come to so deeply admire. Her faith, her devotion, her innocence.. It was admirable. 

That was why he wasn't good enough for her. 

"We have no choice." 

"Of course you have a choice." Dean replied sharply. "I mean, come on. Have you never questioned a crap order, huh? Are you both just a couple of hammers?" 

"_Look._" Castiel ground his teeth behind closed lips. "Even if you can't understand it, have faith. The plan comes from Heaven, and it is just." 

"This is not a plan from God. God, the Creator of Heaven and Earth, your Father, our Heavenly father.. He wouldn't send his angels down to Earth to decimate a town! That's not.. That is _not _what Scripture says. Angels brought forth prophecies and protected their fathers creation! Not murder them in the streets!" Cleopatra puffed out her chest and stood in front of Sam and Dean, eyes flickering between their normal sea foam green and terrifying gold that was brought with the presence of a Nephilim. "So there is _nothing _you can do that would convince me that this plan is coming from God. It's coming from Heaven. That makes it _crap._" 

"It must be nice for you to be so sure of yourselves." 

"Tell me something, Dean." Castiel questioned. "Whenever your father gave you an order, did you listen?" 

Dean straightened his spine at the mention of John. Given that Castiel had been the one to pull him from Hell, he had assumed that the Angel knew more about him and his past then he cared to admit. But he hadn't wanted to ever think about the misfortune that John had thrust upon him and Sam ever again. 

"Sorry boys. Looks like the plans have changed." 

Uriel snorted indignantly. "You think _you _can stop us?" Dean moved around Cleopatra and allowed his hands to fall limp at his sides, eyes locked with the broad shouldered angel in front of him. 

"No. I know I can't. But if you're going to smite this town, you're going to have to smite us too because we aren't leaving." He looked over his shoulder towards the last reminder of his childhood, eyes softening as she lifted her head to meet his gaze. "You in or not, Carter?"

"I'm always up to dying for the Winchesters." She replied meekly. 

"You see, I figured that because you went to all the trouble to bust me out of Hell that I'm probably worth something to the man upstairs. You want to waste me? Go ahead. See how he digs that." Uriel scoffed as Dean inched closer to him, seemingly unafraid of the angel. 

"I will drag you out of here myself." 

"You'll have to kill me if you do that. And see.. right there is the problem. You're going to wipe out a whole town for _one _little witch? Sounds to me like you're compensating for something." Dean stepped into place between Cleopatra and Sam and crossed his arms tightly over his chest. 

"We can do this, _Uriel._" Cleo spat harshly. "We will find that witch, and we will stop the summoning." Uriels eyes lit up fiercely as he rose his hand, halted by Castiels command to silence himself as he now stood in front of Cleopatra. 

"I suggest that the three of you move quickly." He commanded. Dean and Sam immediately turned heel and stepped out the door. She moved to follow silently behind them just as Castiel wrapped his fingers around her wrist, drawing her backwards to him. "Cleopatra-" 

"Know your allegiances, Castiel." She whispered, swallowing thickly as she recognized the little proximity left between her chest and his own. "While Uriel may be your superior, he is not good for you. This.. This is not the angel I met in Lawrence. I don't want the soldier.. I want that angel who brings me cider and pumpkin rolls and tells me about my goodness despite the fact I'm an abomination. I want the driven, compassionate angel who brought me _happiness._" 

Before he could react, she was gone, leaving him alone with an infuriated angel and the self deprecating thoughts plaguing his mind. 

***

"I want you to follow them." 

Cleopatra leaned against the hood of the Impala, brow furrowed in confusion as Dean and Sam leaned against the doors in unison. "Excuse me?!" She deadpanned. "I came all the way here to help you two kill-" 

"Gank." 

"Whatever!" She exclaimed, ignoring the wide grin that spread across Deans face at her frustration. "I came here to help you gank this witch that wants to raise Satans brother from the dead. I didn't come here to follow two angels around like I'm some sort of Russian spy!" 

"Look, Cleopatra." Sam replied softly, his hazel eyes clearly conflicted as he swept his hair to the side. "We know you're frustrated about the entire situation, but here's the thing. We don't know you yet. Cas claims you're some sort of all powerful being, but you haven't shown us your powers. You could be a monster in disguise for all we know, and we're just supposed to blindly trust you?" 

Her jaw dropped in amazement at Sams utter lack of knowledge on the history between the Carters and the Winchesters. She had been under the impression that there was an inkling of truth that the brothers kept linked between them - for those moments when things became too difficult and they needed to fall back on one another. "Wow." She breathed, jabbing a finger between the two brothers. "And here I was thinking that the two of you actually talked to each other about your pasts. I shouldn't be surprised that Sam has absolutely no idea who I am." Her cold gaze shifted back to Dean as he shifted uneasily against the Impala. "You didn't tell him about Reagan and that hunt back in '93, did you? Did you tell him that my brother never made it back from that hunt, Dean? That our parents were best friends when you and Reagan were kids, and that we were a part of your lives until your mother burned to death?" 

"_Cleopatra-"_

Sam gasped as he was met with infuriated gold eyes. He had encountered nearly every monster their father had ever told them about, but none of them had eyes as magnificent as the woman in front of him. She was lonely, lovely, and lethal. So if she wasn't their typical monster that went bump in the night.. 

_Then what was she? _

"Whatever. I'll go follow Tweedle Dee and Dum." She replied bitterly. "But I just want you two to know that I keep leaving behind a life I desperately want to live for the sake of the world, and an angel I can't seem to get out of my head. I'm going to help you keep Lucifer from rising."

And with that, she turned away from the Chevy Impala, waiting until she was out of sight to cloak herself and follow in the footsteps of Castiel and Uriel.


	8. Who Knew Samhain Would Bring Me A Soulmate?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Revelations are made, and soulmates are born.

_He walked into my heart like he always belonged there,_

_took down my walls,_

_and lit my soul on **fire. **_

\- t.m.

\----------------------------------------------

Cleopatra carefully crept through the underbrush of the treeline that surrounded the city park where Castiel and Uriel had ended up, sitting on the nearest bench and observing the children gamboling about in costumes. Gold eyes carefully surveyed the area before she sank against the nearest tree, careful to remain hidden from the two angels. 

"The decision has been made." Castiel proclaimed. Uriel laughed bitterly and shrugged, almost as if it didn't matter to him. 

"By a mud monkey, of all people." He replied sarcastically. "I'm amazed at that woman who was with them. She's.. far more intelligent then the common mud monkey we encounter." 

"You shouldn't be calling them mud monkeys to begin with." Castiel warned, his eyes darkening at the indiscreet mention of Cleopatra. "You're close to blasphemy. You know as well as I do that there's a reason we were sent to save him. The girl is just another piece of the puzzle. I have high hopes that the two of them will succeed together. There is much potential there." The Seraphim sank onto the park bench, smiling softly as he flashed back to the first time he'd found himself in this spot. On a bench, watching children, in a small town park. "At any rate, it's now out of our hands." 

"It doesn't have to be." Uriel replied casually. Castiel lifted his chin from where it rested on top of his folded hands to regard his partner who sat beside him. 

"And what exactly do you suggest?" Castiel quipped. His cobalt blue eyes were still locked on the kids, particularly the young blonde boy in a Captain America costume who flashed the two of them a toothy grin that went unnoticed by Uriel. It reminded him much of his first meeting with Cleopatra-- how serene he had felt after his encounter with the Nephilim. She brought him a sense of security he had not felt in quite some time. 

He was so deep into his memories that he almost didn't hear Uriels response. "I say we drag Dean Winchester out of here and then blow this insignificant pinprick off of the map." He growled. Cleopatra peered around the tree to get a better look at the two angels but suddenly found herself frozen at the sight in front of her. 

Massive navy wings as dark as the night sky were spread out feet in front of her, feathers glistening in the sunlight. Her eyes gazed in amazement at the individual texture of each feather and the direction they ran, the gentle arc of his wings that seemed to close in around himself. She wanted nothing more then to run her fingers through the feathers.. To hear the heavenly words pour from his mouth. 

Gazing upon Castiels wings was like looking at the constellations themselves. 

Her mother had told her about wing grooming when she was younger. Given that Josiah had fallen, his wings were in far worse condition then Castiels currently were, but he had insisted on allowing her to groom them. She often spoke of the Enochian that she learned through it, the intimacy that occurred between an angel and their _soulmate. _

That had been her exact words too. Alexandria was Josiahs **_soulmate. _**

Cleopatra felt her heart slam against her rib cage as she pressed her body against the trunk of the tree, eyes blurring with unshed tears as her hand closed over her mouth. After the loss of her brother and father, Cleo had been convinced that she was destined to be alone. All that time had passed since they'd buried their bodies in the ground, and here God had given her a sign that there was still good in the world.. Through the only angel who had ever brought her happiness. 

Before she could even break into a sprint and fly out of there before Castiel noticed her presence, her phone vibrated in her pocket with an unread text message from Dean. 

** _Dean: Sam literally smoked Samhain. Case is closed. What did you get on Douche 1 and Douche 2? _ **

Shaking fingers poised over the keys of her phone as she hurriedly typed a response to the older Winchester. 

** _Cleopatra: Cas convinced Uriel to put his faith in you, and apparently it worked. Wish I could've watched the magic. I'm gonna come crash at your motel room on the sofa, if you don't mind. I'm beat. _ **

From where he stood in his motel room, Dean allowed his toothbrush to hang limp in his mouth as he grinned at Cleopatras message. He was eager to learn more about the mysterious woman from his childhood that he had not seen since the day her brother had left with him on that hunt. 

And Sam couldn't seem to shut up about the fact that she had gold eyes. 

** _Dean: Make your way over here, Princess. Looks like we got alot of catching up to do. _ **

*** 

She wasn't surprised that Dean had gone to the nearest convenience store to buy the most baggy clothes he could find. Despite the fact that they were no where near form fitting on her, Cleopatra appreciated the gesture and changed her clothing later that night, settling into the sofa and tucking her feet beneath her just as Sam sat down on his bed. 

"You want to know about the gold eyes, don't you?" Cleopatra questioned, to which he nodded eagerly. She admired the curiosity of the younger Winchester and the abundance of questions he always seemed to ask. Despite the fact that she had known Dean since they were kids, and Sam was a year younger then her, she had not spent _life _with them. They weren't her family, not yet anyway. They didn't need to know every detail. "Daddy was an angel and Mommy was a human. Only thing I got from him was the eyes." 

Well, not the truth, but not a lie either. 

"So you're part angel?" Sam replied. "Can you do all the things that the angels can do?" Cleopatra inhaled deeply and snapped her eyes back open, looking upon the older Winchester with bright gold eyes as she motioned to his gun. "What?" 

"Shoot me." 

Dean guffawed at her request as he settled on the bed behind Sam. "Are you kidding me, Cleopatra? It'll-" She held her hand up to silence him and once again motioned to the gun on the bedside table. Dean pressed his lips into a thin line and flicked the safety off, his handgun aimed for the center of her chest. "On three. Ready?" 

"One.. two.. three." 

Cleopatra felt time slow down around her as she zeroed in her focus on the bullet coming in her direction, Sam and Deans bodies frozen as she forced the trajectory towards the wall opposite of her. Both of the brothers gasped as they were thrown from their respected beds at the sheer power that emanated in the room, handgun tossed aside and bullet now lodged in the wall above Sams bed. 

"Mother of _Christ-" _Sam praised, hands lifted above his head as he repeatedly bowed to her, which caused Dean to break into hysterical laughter. "I'm not worthy. Who am I kidding.. Neither of us are worthy!" The older Winchester rose an eyebrow as he and his brother simultaneously crawled underneath their blankets, two pairs of bright eyes watching in anticipation as Cleopatra wrapped the cotton blanket that had been spread along the back of the couch around herself. 

"Would you do me the honors of shutting off the lights, oh Queen?" Dean mocked. A devilish smirk spread across her lips as she outstretched her hand towards the light switch and flicked it downward, bathing the three of them in complete darkness. The two men were unconscious almost immediately. 

There was a reason she was named after the most infamous Egyptian Queen, after all. 

***

After a hearty breakfast of diner eggs and bacon with a side of hash browns and freshly brewed coffee, Cleopatra followed Dean back to the park where Castiel and Uriel had met the following day. Dean had requested that she stay out of sight so he could break through to Castiel, who seemed to favor him over Sam. He was afraid that if she showed her face to the Seraph that he would immediately change his tune, and Dean wouldn't get the answers he needed. 

"Let me guess. You're here for the I Told You So?" He mocked. 

"No." 

"Well, good. I'm really not all that interested to begin with." 

Castiel scrunched his nose as he eyed the older Winchester beside him. "I am not here to judge you, Dean." He replied. "Our orders-" 

"See, that's the other thing. I've had enough of these so called righteous orders you keep talking about, and so has Cleopatra. You know she never showed up to help up stop Samhain yesterday? It's almost as if she's just.. disappeared." Dean spoke loudly, his emerald eyes flickering upward for the presence of the Nephilim. Despite the fact that the Winchesters knew she was part angel, she had told him this morning about her enhanced senses. 

"I will have to find her. It's.. quite disheartening that she ran off. I swear I only felt her presence yesterday." The angel shook his head lightly in response. "Our orders were not to stop the summoning of Samhain." Castiel interjected. "Our orders were to do whatever you told us to do." 

Now interested, Dean leaned forward and folded his hands together. "Your orders were to follow my orders?" He questioned. 

"It was a test.. To see how you would perform under battle field conditions, you might say. The reason why I asked Cleopatra to tag along with you is so that she would realize her greater potential. With the three of you working together, I was hoping that she would come to her senses and show what true power she possesses." 

"And why do you think she hasn't done that yet?" 

"_She has not met her true darkness._" Cas murmured. 

Desperate to change to a different subject, Dean once again spoke up. "So I failed your test, huh? Don't worry. I get it. But you know what? If you were to wave that magic time traveling wand of yours and I could go back and do it again, I'd make the same call. See, I don't know what's gonna happen when these seals are broken, let alone what's gonna happen tomorrow. Do you want to know what I do know? This here.. The kids, the swings, the trees, the sun.. Is still here because of my brother and I."

Cleopatra slowly began making her way across the park at that point, sea foam eyes focused on the beat of Castiels wings folded against his back as he became more comfortable around Dean. "You misunderstand me, Dean. I'm not like you think. I was praying that you would choose to save the town, and that Cleopatra would join you. I just want what is best for her." 

"You were praying that I'd save this town?" 

"These people are all my fathers creations, and they are works of art. Yet even though you stopped Samhain, the Seal was still broken. We are one step closer to Hell on Earth for all creation, and that's not an expression. It's literal. You of all people should appreciate what that means." Castiel sighed deeply, lips pursed outward as he bowed his head to his chest. "Can I tell you something if you promise not to tell another soul?" 

"Not even Cleop-"

He immediately shook his head vigorously. "Especially not her. I am afraid of what she'd say." Her heart sank as she jumped over the outer wall of the playground that surrounded the mulch, easing her way past giggling children as she approach the pair. "I am not a hammer, as you say. I have doubts. I don't know what is right or what is wrong anymore, let alone whether or not you passed or failed here. But in the coming months, you will have more decisions to make, and believe me when I tell you that she is in fact a part of it. I don't envy the weight that's on your shoulders, Dean. I truly don't." 

Cleopatra lunged forward with her hand extended just as she saw his wings part to take flight, giving Dean his cue to take his stand and leave the premises. "That's my cue." He replied. "I'll keep pondering those decisions while you have a chat with your angelic best friend forever." 

Castiels head whipped back around to meet the furious golds of the Nephilim, who was seething as she pinned his arms to the bench with her face only mere inches from her own. "I think it's time we had another heart to heart, angel." She said sweetly through gritted teeth. "Maybe you can explain to me why I can see those magnificent wings of yours." 

***

"What did you say?" 

Cleopatra pressed her lips into a thin line and tilted her head slowly, mirroring Castiels favorite expression as her gold eyes pierced his own. "Let me enunciate just a little bit louder for you, angel." She said sharply. "Why can I see your _wings?_" She immediately noticed the way his breathing hitched under her touch, his cobalt irises dilated in alarm as her fingers brushed the outer feathers of his wings. 

"I.. I'm not sure what to make of this." He mumbled. "If you can see them, describe them to me." Cleopatra leaned backwards and knelt down in front of Castiel, eyes narrowed in wonder as they swept over and across his wing span. "Cleopatra, I _have _to know. You need to tell me what they look like." 

"Deep, deep blue. Almost borderline black. The outer detail of your wings is probably what stuns me the most. It's.." Her voice broke off as she brought herself to her knees with her face inches away from Castiels, her eyes cast upward as trembling fingers touched the tips of his feathers. "They're breathtaking. It's almost like gazing into the constellations themselves." 

The two of them locked eyes with one another, his fingers creeping out from underneath the cuffs of his coat and grazing the side of her neck. Cleopatra inhaled deeply and allowed herself to succumb to the yearning that came with his fingers against her skin. When he touched her, she was on fire. 

And she feared it.

"There is a legend that has been whispered about for eons, but no one ever discovered it to be true." Castiel uttered, moving his fingers to the nape of her neck to play with her hair. She took another hesitant step closer to the point where she was now positioned between his knees, hands splayed over his chest. "When a human can see the wings of an angel.. They are said to be each others soulmates. The last angel it happened to was your father, and look where that got him." 

If she hadn't been so intrigued by the new problem at hand, Cleopatra would've punched him straight in the mouth. "How can we be sure?" 

"I have not heard of a Nephilim and an Angel being bonded as soulmates." Castiel replied. His head snapped upward as he pulled his fingers away from her, body immediately rigid as if he was sensing something she wasn't. "I will find out more. In the meantime, please join Sam and Dean. Speak to your mother about it and see if your father ever told her anything. Do not repeat any of this to anyone." 

With a flicker of blue, he was gone, leaving her alone with her uneasiness over allowing another person to slip past her walls. 

"Oh Castiel," She whispered. "Who knew Samhain would bring me a soulmate?"


	9. Terrified To Be Your Lover

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cleopatra must come to terms with being the future wife of an angel who has not yet had his fall from grace.

"_I have been afraid of many things in my life. I have been afraid of myself since I became aware of the powers I possessed. But you want to know what truly terrifies me?" Cleopatra questioned. "Binding myself to the Angel that God set aside to fall head over heels in love with me." _

_\------------------------------------------------_

After a few days of radio silence, Cleopatra gathered the courage to return to her home in Lawrence. Dean and Sam promised to keep in touch if they needed the research expertise of her and her mother, which was fortunate given that she wanted nothing to do with the hunting itself. Castiel, on the other hand, had completely vanished after her declaration of being able to see his wings. 

If she didn't know better, Cleopatra would have said he was just as terrified at the idea of God setting aside a soulmate for him, let alone having it be a Nephilim. 

"God, give me strength." She whispered, locking the door to her car she'd left parked in the driveway before turning around and glancing at her home. It was in the same condition she'd left it before taking off to spy on Uriel and Castiel -- Exactly that. Nothing about Lawrence had changed. Life was exactly the _same. _

"Cleopatra Abigail Carter!" A stern voice shouted as she stepped inside the foyer, only to come face to face with her irate mother. Alexandria Carter had been desperately attempting to reach her only living child for the past three days, coming up empty handed when she received no return phone call and drove from Topeka only to find the house empty. "Where have you been, young lady?! I've been trying to reach you for days!" 

The raven haired beauty blew a strand of hair from her face as she set to cleaning up the minimal amount of supplies left on the counter in her kitchen. "The Winchesters needed my help. Figured it wouldn't hurt to help stop the end of the world, you know." Quirking an eyebrow, she turned around to face her mother. "You are talented in Enochian lore as well as overall history, mother. Tell me. What Revelation omens have you seen recently?" 

Alexandria felt her mouth run dry as she stared blankly at her daughter. This was what she had spent the first twelve years of Cleopatra's life desperately trying to avoid -- To keep her from meeting the darkness of the world. It was that same desperation that caused her husband to overlook her wishes, and brought her home two corpses to bury. "That's not the point." She snapped, hands wrapped around her hips. "Were you with the angel too? I thought you were trying to distance yourself from him." 

"I tried. I tried _so hard _to make myself stop carrying about Castiel. He's an enigma.. One I want to unravel." Cleopatra replied. "Dean and Sam wanted me to follow him and his new partner to see what kind of information they were feeding each other, so I did. And get this!" She leaned her weight against the marble countertop and cracked each knuckle individually, as if she were preparing to unveil the biggest news of her life. "Instead of listening to him talk about what they really had planned, I was too busy focused on his wings."

That stopped her in her tracks. "N-No." She gaped in disbelief, her fingers immediately flitting up to the angel wing pendant around her neck she'd had made in memory of her husband. Deep scarlet wings expanded widely across her collarbone, as if they were trying to envelop her and protect her from the dangers of the outside world. "You're telling me that after all this time you two have known each other that you can now see his wings? Do you know what that _means?" _

_"_That I'm destined for greatness? That maybe, by some miracle of miracles, maybe the Host of Heaven will stop trying to end my life?" Cleopatra retorted, fingers wrapping around the handle of the blue tea pitcher and pouring herself a glass of iced tea. "Ihave been afraid of many things in my life. I have been afraid of myself since I became aware of the powers I possessed. But you want to know what truly terrifies me?" Cleopatra further questioned. "Binding myself to the Angel that God set aside to fall head over heels in love with me." 

Alexandria sighed deeply and crossed the gap between herself and her daughter, wrapping her hands around her shoulders and resting her forehead against her own. "Castiel is not your enemy, honey. He could've killed you. If he really _wanted _to follow his orders to eliminate you, he would've done so. If I didn't know any better, I'd say he's starting to become a little bit more human then angel." 

"What's your point?" 

"You think you're the one terrified to fall in love? The only one afraid to fall into an eternal covenant to love the man God set aside for you? Imagine being Castiel." Alexandria whispered. "Born into war, raised as a soldier, and when it comes time to execute an order.. You can't find it in you to do it because the woman you were sent to kill is everything you wish you could be. Compassionate, loving, loyal. She's not your commander, she's not your abandoned Heavenly Father.. She's just a woman who wants to love you but doesn't know _how. _And then you find out that she's your soulmate.. I don't blame him for being terrified. He's probably fighting with himself." 

Before she could continue, Cleopatra stiffened as her phone vibrated on the counter top behind her, Deans caller ID flashing on the screen. "Hey Dean." She said quietly, running her fingers through her hair. "Sorry I ran off on you.. Wanted to return home for a while. Everything okay?" 

"_I know this is gonna sound super creepy, Cleo. Sam and I did some research into you, and we found out that you're a Detective for Lawrence and Topeka. Top of your class, so we hear. I think that you'd be super useful for this case Ruby just gave us." _

Tilting her head slowly, the Nephilim chewed on the inside of her thumb nail. "Ruby.. Haven't met her yet. Is she.. Is she anything like Sam?" She recognized the familiar hum of the Impalas engine and the roar of music, thankful Sam was preoccupied. 

"_What do you mean, kid?" _

Cleopatra lifted her eyes to meet her mothers and pulled the phone away from her ear, pressing the speaker phone button before holding it in the palm of her hand. "Dean, when I met Sam, I could see his soul. Most of us angels can. His soul.. It's pure obsidian and reeks of death. So, if I'm correct, then Ruby is probably a demon and she's the one who has been gifting Sam with whatever it is that makes his soul so evil?" 

An elongated pregnant pause ensued as Dean chewed on Cleopatras words, pulling into the parking lot of the church where he and Sam had assumed Anna had disappeared to. "_Case of a missing girl who's diagnosed schizophrenic but might be one of your species or whatever. Sent the address. Meet me there." _

The line went dead before she could deny his plead of assistance, cursing under her breath as she snapped her phone shut and looked up to her mother, eyes wide and begging for understanding. "Don't worry honey. I know." Alexandria replied, sloppily kissing her daughters forehead. "I have to be back in Topeka by tonight anyway. Stay safe for me, you here? Let me know if you three need help with research." 

Just as she was making her way to collect her things, Cleopatras timid voice called out, "Mom? What do I do whenever I see Cas again?" Alexandria inhaled deeply and clutched the wings in between her fingers, uttering a silent prayer to her deceased husband before turning around to face her daughter. 

"Let him know you still care." 

***

With a little bit more optimism in her step and a newfound faith coursing through her veins, Cleopatra packed yet another overnight bag and flew off to the address Dean had sent her, landing beside the Impala in front of a white steeple church. She frowned and curled her toes in her boots, inhaling the clean air as she gazed over the front of the building. 

Her moment of serenity was swept away from her when Dean and Sam came crashing through the front window. 

Cleopatra immediately sprung into action, sprinting across the street with her hands outstretched; The two men froze in midair as she straightened her posture, gold eyes narrowed as they were lowered safely to the concrete. Dean gasped for breath as they fell into reality, pain coursing through his dislocated shoulder as his blurred eyesight focused in on the figure walking towards them. 

"Good Lord you two, you look like crap." She muttered, lifting Dean to his feet before following with Sam, arms wrapped around both their waists as they hobbled over to the Impala. "Let's get back to your motel room and I'll heal you both. No dental floss stitches, and no whiskey. Sound good?" 

Dean gave no answer as he instead handed her the keys to the Impala. "Leeford Motel on Main and Second. Drive." Grinning widely, the younger woman snatched the keys and slid in behind the wheel, fingers tapping nervously against it as the Winchester brothers collapsed simultaneously in the back seat. "I'm dyin' back here, kid. Hop to it!" 

Cleopatra sped to their motel and parked directly in front of the door, keen eyes watching as the brothers entered the room and shut it behind them. Her mind immediately went to Castiel, who would most likely be involved in the search for this _Anna _that Dean had filled her in about on the way over, claiming that she was an angel who was seeing the 66 Seals as they were executed. 

Pressing her lips into a thin line, the Nephilim exited the car and tightened her coat around her waist as she slowly formed a coherent prayer to Castiel. _Cas.. If you're still hearing me, I'm sorry. I never meant to frighten you. If we are truly soulmates, I am blessed to know it will not be a lifetime before I am granted the opportunity to fall in love with a good man. I know you're probably too busy with carrying out Heavens orders, but if you are listening.. Please don't run away from me. You are my happiness, after all. _

And in the midst of his search for their fallen rebellious angel, Castiel heard her. 

And he smiled. 

***

"Thanks for the supernatural healing, Cleo." Sam called out as he sat on his bed, Dean parallel to him as the two brothers watched their rescuer in the midst of her nightly routine. Her bag was tucked in the corner by the sofa, cellphone amidst the array of clothes as she returned to the room and rifled through it for her favorite Nirvana teeshirt. "We really appreciate you coming back to help us." 

"Cas obviously isn't coming around to give an hand in the angel department." She replied bitterly, moving to sit beside Dean and tucking her knees beneath her as she did so. "But in order for me to continue working hunts with you two, we need to put some things in the open." Sam gaped in awe as he was met with sharp golden eyes that now seemed to stare intently at him as if they were trying to break him apart piece by piece. "Your soul reeks of death, Sammy. It's probably one of the most terrifying things I've ever come across because it is so _evil._ You tell me why you're the poster boy for Hell, and maybe I'll consider being a part of your insane team of merry men." 

Sam inhaled deeply and settled his elbows against his knees. "Do you want the updated version or should I start from the beginning?" Dean tensed at the term _beginning,_ which was when Mary had made her deal with Azazel and Sam had been infected with demon blood. Cleopatra knew about their mothers death given that she and Reagan had seen it the night it occurred, but she never knew _why _Mary Winchester had died. "Cause it's brutal. All of it." 

"We've got all the time in the world." Cleopatra whispered, leaning in so she and Dean were shoulder to shoulder. "Start with telling me why the angels call you _The Boy With The Demon Blood." _

So for the greater portion of an hour she listened to Sam weave a story; from the night their mother had been murdered through their years of living on the road with their absent father, his inevitable death through saving Dean, and the older Winchesters thirty years in hell before he'd been resurrected by Castiel. 

The details of Hell were sparse, given that Sam hadn't been apart of it. She was more interested in hearing what had gone on when Sam had been alone, and she'd been getting to know Heavens most self-destructive angel. 

"I know you two hate her, but Ruby.. she saved me." Sam muttered. "More then that, she got through to me. What she said to me.. It's what you would've said." His hazel eyes then turned towards the raven haired woman sitting beside his brother, who had not torn her eyes away from him the entire time he'd talked about his extended time with the demon. "And I know you're afraid of me because I'm also afraid of myself, but I really hope we can come to where that no longer becomes an issue. Dean respects you, values you. If my brother can value you despite not knowing you well, then so can I." Sam turned his attention back to Dean and ran his hands over his face. 

"You have no idea how much I appreciate that, Sammy. Seriously." Cleopatra replied, motioning for him to continue. "You guys know relationships in this life are hard to come by, so I appreciate anything I can get, even if its you two morons." 

"If it wasn't for her, I probably wouldn't be here." 

A soft knock on the door drew their attention to the African American woman who then entered, hastily shutting the curtains before turning to acknowledge the three of them. "Go to this address." She commanded. "That's where I'm at. Go through the back window. Don't stop, don't take your car, don't pass go." 

''_Ruby?" _

"Okay yes, so I'm possessing this maid for a hot minute." Ruby replied sarcastically. "Sue me."

"What about-" 

"Coma girl? Rotting back at the cabin with Anna, so I've gotta hurry back. See you when you get there. Now _go!" _Dean held fresh linens in his hands as she stormed past him, quietly shutting the door behind her as she vanished. The three passed inquisitive expressions all around before Cleopatra stood to her feet, brushing off her jeans as she let out a loud yawn.

"And here I was thinking that I might actually get a decent nights sleep for once." She replied, slightly annoyed that they had to leave the comfort of the motel bed. "Alright Sherlock and Watson, grab my hand. This is gonna get.. hazy." 

Before either of the boys could argue, she laid hands on their shoulders and shut her eyes, opening them to find that they were directly outside of the address that Ruby had given to Sam. It was a dilapidated cabin, with a barely functioning chimney that puffed out smoke every few moments; curling into tendrils before it evaporated in the damp night air. 

"_Crap,_" Dean groaned as he leaned against her, incredibly aware of the hand that was traveling up and down the length of his spine. "Do you always give guys vertigo whenever you.. what was that anyway?" 

"Most people who aren't knuckleheads would call it flying. Me? I call it Teleportation, The Rad Style of Flying." Cleopatra replied, breaking into a fit of laughter as Dean pulled her into a loose headlock, oblivious to the wide grin from Sam as he nuzzled her hair with his fist. "Let go of me, you ape!" 

"Oh yeah, if anyone is the ape, it's _definitely _me and not the freakishly tall humanoid to your left." Dean muttered, following the two into the cabin where Ruby opened the door and ushered them inside. "Hey Anna. How're you doing?" 

"I'm fine, I think." Cleopatras eyes narrowed inward as a petite redhead sitting on the ragged sofa stood to her feet, swallowing thickly when she saw gold eyes watching her. "I'm more concerned about your new friend here. She wasn't at the church." 

"Oh, I forgot the introductions." Sam gently nudged Cleopatra forward, hand clasped on her shoulder as she feigned a smile to the woman opposite of her. "Cleopatra Carter, meet Anna Milton. Anna, meet Cleopatra. Apparently the two of you are both angels." 

As Dean and Sam conversed with Ruby about their situation, Cleopatra couldn't seem to calm her growing nerves as she watched Anna, who seemed to be staring back at her just as intently. Despite the fact that she had no memory of who she was, there was something unnerving about the way they seemed to be able to read each other so openly. Almost as if they were cut from the same cloth. "You aren't an angel. There's... There's something different about you. You're part angel, but you're not fully angel." Her eyes widened as she bit down hard on her lip. "I've heard them talk about you too. You and.. _Castiel? _They call you Heavens Most Wanted Abomination." 

Face now wearing an expression of pure rage, Cleopatra leaned inward to where she and Anna were nearly nose to nose, her eyes vibrating a raw power unlike anything the angel had ever felt before. Like an atomic bomb that was waiting to go off. 

"They don't know who I am." She snarled. "They don't know who _we _are, or the forever we haven't lived yet. If they want to call me Heavens Most Wanted Abomination, that's on them. If they want the monster beneath the skin.. then that is what they're going to get." 

Somewhere from behind her she heard Dean strain to thank Ruby for saving Sam, prompting the Nephilim to turn away and walk towards the Winchesters, taking her place beside the window. The red head inhaled deeply, desperate to shake the fear coursing through her veins as she slowly lowered herself back onto the sofa. 

"Hey, Sam? Do you think I could call my parents real quick, just to let them know I'm okay?" Anna questioned. "I'm sure they're probably freaked." Cleopatra kept her gaze focused on the fullness of the moon as Sam and Dean exchanged glances, unsure of how to disclose the death of Rich Milton and his wife without drawing hysteria from their daughter. "What?" 

Sam exhaled sharply and moved to sit beside her. "Anna," He began, voice faltering as he heard her breathing hitch. "Your-Your parents-"

"What about them?" She pressed, hot tears pricking the corners of her eyes as she struggled to keep her focus on the younger Winchester. 

"Anna, I'm sorry-"

"_No!_" She shrieked, threading her fingers tightly through her hair as broken sobs escaped her lips. Cleopatras eyes fluttered shut as she listened to the desperate cries of a child who had lost her entire world, images flickering between the night she had lit two candles in a darkened bedroom to reality - where an angel, or human, had lost the only link to the world she remembered. "_Why is this happening to me?" _

"Because loss is inevitable. It happens, and you learn to face it." Cleopatra murmured quietly enough only for herself to hear. Anna shot upward and clutched at her ears, pupils dilated with fear as they snapped over to the front door. The pure terror on her face drew the Nephilim straight to attention. "Anna? What're you hearing?" 

"They're coming!" 

Dean immediately set to reloading the weapons he and Sam had brought with them from the Motel, Cleopatra ushering Anna into the side room of the cabin while the three left in the main room prepared to be ambushed by the angels. When she reemerged with a unfamiliar silver blade that had been tucked into the sheath on her thigh, Dean was the first one to ask what it was. 

"What the heck is that thing?" 

Cleopatra smirked as she twirled it through her fingers, strength coursing through her veins as she ran the pads of her fingers over the Enochian Runes. "It's called an angel blade, genius." She retorted. "And it's about the only thing that can kill them." 

"Why are you standing in front of us?" Ruby snapped. "And who are you? These idiots have failed to mention it!" The corners of her lids turned upward into a smirk, Cleopatra met the eyes of the demon and winked as her fingers tightened around the hilt of her blade. 

"I'm the only chance you have of getting out of here alive." 

And with that remark, the door broke off its hinges, and Castiel came storming inside with Uriel. 

Part of her was overjoyed at seeing the angel again after so long, but the moment that their eyes met, Cleopatra knew that Castiel wasn't here to give her the answers she'd been longing for since seeing his wings for the first time. 

"We're here for Anna." Castiel said clearly. His cobalt eyes swept over the four people in front of him before they decided to settle on Cleopatra. No matter the circumstance, he always seemed to feel safest when she was looking right at him -- and right _through _him. 

"Like, here for her here for her?" Dean replied. "Cause if that's the case, we've got an angel who's fully ready to kick you into next Tuesday." Sam straightened his shoulders, setting his jaw as he formulated his next question to the two angels in front of him. 

"Are you going to help her?" He asked, cursing inwardly as his voice seemingly broke apart. Cleopatra remained un-moving at his side, eyes locked solely on Castiel and fingers wrapped so firmly around her blade that her knuckles had begun to turn white. 

"No. She has to die."

_I'm sorry I'm not what you want. _Castiel whispered into her mind. Cleopatras eyes softened as her grip on the blade she kept so close to her heart slipped and clattered against the floor. _I'm sorry this is who I have become in front of your very eyes. _

_On the contrary, angel. _She whispered in reply, lips turning upward in the ghost of a smile as his eyes swept over her face. _They're telling you who to be. It's up to you now. Tell them who you are. Do not let them define you. _

_\---------------------------------------_

**Seriously though, after 4x10 and 4x16.. Casopatra will not be reluctant anymore around each other. They're gonna be best friends before they're romantically involved, and I've got most of it planned out. **

**I'm so excited to give you guys this story. It's going to be a thriller - and I can't wait to share it with you! **


	10. Grace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dean, Sam and Cleopatra meet Anna: a fallen angel who served underneath her father in their garrison. Castiel and Uriel are on the hunt for their renegade angel who seems to know a thing or two about being human.

[ Set during 4x10 - Heaven and Hell ] 

_\---------------------------------------------------_

_I'm sorry I'm not what you want. _

Have you ever found yourself in a compromising situation where it boils down to either you or the other person? Where one walks out of the situation unscathed, but the other is left to fend for themselves against the inevitable pain inflicted on them?

One gets to live,

And the other gets to die?

_I'm sorry this is who I became. _

Put yourself into their shoes for a moment. An angel and his Nephilim -- or the woman who was promised to be by his side for eternity. She is his chosen _soulmate_, but she is not only that. She is the definition of the Divines most hated abomination next to Lucifer, and he failed in carrying out the order to end her life. 

He failed because he cared, and that was Castiels problem. He had _far too much_heart. 

He had spent the greater majority of the time while looking for the Winchesters and Cleopatra preparing himself for how he would approach her, running his fingers through his hair out of frustration as his jumbled thoughts seemed to continuously remain that way -- rendering him unable to form a coherent sentence as to why he was looking for Anna, why he and Uriel had to kill her. 

So to say he was disappointed in himself the moment he set foot in the dilapidated cabin wearing the same cold expression that angels frequently wore was an understatement. His mask was beginning to shatter every time he encountered the Nephilim and the Winchesters -- leaving nothing but chinks in his armor. 

Each broken piece was another weakness he couldn't overcome. 

"You two are heartless, you know that?" 

It was Deans voice that pulled him from his stupor, causing Castiel to turn his head towards the older Winchester. Despite the conversation between himself and the Nephilim only a moment before, he couldn't help the shudder that ran down his body as he tried to shake her penetrating gaze. 

"Believe me, we know." He muttered beneath his breath. "And?" 

"And?" Sam replied indignantly as he furrowed his eyebrows. "Anna is an innocent girl!" 

"_She is far from innocent." _

Cleopatra took two tentative steps backwards as she scooped up her blade, wincing as the floorboards groaned under her weight. She knew Castiel and Uriels intentions -- They were looking to extract the angel and return her to Heaven for proper punishment of her rebellion to be executed. How she had fallen, Cleopatra wasn't sure. But she did not want to be on the receiving end of Castiel carrying out his orders. 

"What do you mean?" 

"It means she's worse then this abomination you've been screwing." Uriel spat venomously. "Now do me a favor, and _give _us the girl." Cleopatra clenched her jaw at his demands, raking her fingers through her hair as she stepped upward and back in front of the Winchesters, who were glancing questioningly at each other for the seal of approval to deny his request entirely. 

"Sorry, it's not going to happen." Dean retorted as he shrugged innocently. "You're gonna have to get a different one. Try J-Date." Uriels ominous eyes narrowed as he stepped forward, hoping it would intimidate the older Winchester into submission. 

"Who's going to stop us, you two? The demon whore, or the woman that no one seems to know?" Uriel grunted as he tossed Ruby across the room with a flick of his wrist, causing the demon to collapse in a heap on the floor amidst shards of broken glass. 

Everything thing moved in a flash as Dean both moved to intercept Uriel, leaving the Nephilim alone with her angel. Castiels angel blade slid from the sleeve of his trench coat into his hand, making it easily accessible as his narrow fingers wrapped around the hilt. 

"Cas- _Wake up!_" Cleopatra snapped, gasping for air as his opposite hand slammed her into the wall right behind Sam, who was now unconscious on the floor. Fingers wrapped loosely around her throat as the blade pressed directly into her skin, leaving a thin trail of blood to travel down the column of her neck and disappear beneath her teeshirt. "I'm not going to kill you, angel! And you aren't going to kill me!" 

Her blood turned to ice as his eyes darkened inches away from her own, hot breath ghosting her lips as they flickered between two terrified golden irises staring back at him. "And how do you know that?" He whispered in her ear. "Ending you was my order after all." 

_Play the part, then win her heart. _

Her eyes drifted back upward to meet his own, trembling fingers gently coming to graze the stubble on his cheek. Castiel fervently began thanking his Father for Uriel being preoccupied in that moment, for it was the first touch he'd received from her since the week they'd met. The warm pads of her fingers caressed the apple of his cheek before they came to cup his jaw, drawing his attention back to her. 

Her eyes were calmer then the storms that had forced Noah to build the Ark to take him to the new world.

Castiel sank into her touch almost instantaneously, oblivious to the way his vessel began to fight chaotically against the banishing sigil that was soon to vanquish himself and Uriel from the premises. 

"_Because you care too much about me." _

And before he could reply, the angels were gone, leaving a gasping Nephilim and her partners in the midst of scattered debris.

***

After ultimately coming to the conclusion that they needed to get Anna safe, Dean drove the four of them back to Bobby Singers house in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. She opted to remain on the upper floor with Sam while Dean and Ruby locked the angel away in the panic room in the basement, which was where all supernatural beings went for refuge. _Apparently. _

"So Sammy, what exactly have we found out about Anna Milton?" Cleopatra questioned. Sams eyes snapped upward as she re-entered the living room dressed in a oak colored leather jacket, hair pulled tightly back into a ponytail to give a clear view of her face. Sam took the moment to appreciate the features that had been veiled by her hair -- The gentle slope of her nose to the curves of her eyebrows, his hazel irises following the apples of her cheeks down to the shape of her lips. "_Sam."_

"Uh-Yeah! Sorry." He blurted out, smiling sheepishly as she raised an eyebrow at him. "What did you say?" 

"What I said, Einstein, was what have you learned on Anna Milton? That wasn't permission to be checking me out, Winchester." She mused lightly, taking her spot on the sofa as Dean reentered the room and sat beside her. 

"Her parents were Rich and Amy Milton, a church deacon and a house-wife. According to the reports though, this latest psych episode wasn't her first." Sam replied, his finger trailing along the police report as he thoroughly scanned the details. "When she was two and a half, she'd get hysterical anytime her dad got close. She was convinced he wasn't her real father." 

Cleopatra snorted indignantly and linked her fingers behind her head. "Wow, _really? _Cause that doesn't sound like something an angel who was cast out of Heaven would say!"

"Dude, shut up and be useful." Dean replied sharply. Cleopatra shrugged and leaned her head back on the sofa as Sam continued, comparing the story with one her father had told her whenever she was nothing more then a child wanting to learn the tales of the Divine. 

_When an angel falls, they're bound to Earth. There is no return to Heaven, and they no longer possess the thing that makes them an angel. Their grace is extracted, and they're nothing more then human. _

"She saw a kid shrink, got better, and grew up normal." 

Dean flipped through the file and gently shut the manila folder as he lifted his eyes to meet Sams. "Until now, so what is she hiding?" 

"_Why don't you just ask me to my face?" _

Cleopatra opened one eye to find Anna fuming in the doorway, Ruby lurking behind her with her arms tightly crossed over her chest. "Ruby-" She groaned, pressing her hands tightly against her knees as she stood to her feet. "What part of watch her do you not get?" 

"The watching part." 

The Nephilim inhaled deeply as she contemplated her choices: Gabriel and Castiel had both taught her how to infiltrate locked memories and pull them to the surface in order to cause the holder of those memories to remember what had been locked away. In retrospect, she _could _pull them from Anna.. But it would be a definitive giveaway to her true identity. 

"I wish I could tell you why the angels say I'm guilty, but I have no clue!" Anna cried exasperatingly. "Why don't you tell _me _why my live has been leveled? Why my parents are dead?! I.. I don't know. I swear, I would give anything to know." 

"Okay, then let's find out." 

It was a mere few hours later when Dean returned with another woman on his heels. She was slim figured with dark curled hair, her eyes veiled by a pair of sunglasses and clad in a leather jacket and flare cut jeans. Sam immediately brightened at the sight of her, leaping to his feet to greet his brother and the stranger at the door. 

"Pamela, hey! How are you?" 

"Sam? Sam is that you?" She asked, her hands running over Sams torso and face before she smacked his backside, grinning wickedly as he stiffened beneath her touch. "Of course I know it's you, grumpy. Could tell from a mile away. Same way I know that's a demon, the brooding pensive one in the corner is.." Pamelas voice faltered as she stepped away from Sam and towards Cleopatra, halted in her steps by a seemingly invisible force. "I want to say an angel, but that's probably not right. Who are you, chick?" 

"Carter. Cleopatra Carter, ma'am. And if I were you, I wouldn't come any closer." Cleopatra called out as she twisted her wrist, smirking as Pamela involuntarily turned in Annas direction. "And the poor girl is Anna. We know that already. Mind telling me what _you _are?"

"Pamela Barnes, Miss Carter. Best psychic you're ever gonna meet, and I'm here to help figure out who Anna is." Pamela punched Sam hard in the arm as a wicked grin spread across her face. "Stop eyeing my rack, Winchester." Sam began blurting out a mantra of apologies before he was silenced as the six of them entered the panic room where Pamela ushered Anna to lie down in the cot parallel to the wall. "As I count down, just go deeper and deeper, okay? 5...4..3..2..” 

_One. _

“Deep sleep.” Pamela gently ran her fingers over Annas face before recoiling to sit back in her chair, the two Winchesters and Carter watching the ordeal from all sides of the panic room. “Every muscle in your body relaxed. Can you hear me?” 

Anna nodded softly. “I can hear you.” 

“Now Anna, tell me. How can you hear the angels? How did you work that spell?” 

“I-I don’t know.” She murmured. “I just did.” 

“Your father. What’s his name?” Pamela persisted. 

“_Rich Milton.” _

Cleopatra ran her hands over her face as she studied the redheads body language. According to Castiel, Fallen angels who turned human were robbed of their memories from their time in Heaven, depending on how long they’d been on Earth. Their brothers and sisters, the battles, the blood. Part of her was glad that Josiah had never divulged the details of the battles he’d fought in Heaven alongside her Uncle Gabriel. 

“Alright, but now I want you to look further back when you were very young. Just a couple of years old.” Anna scrunched her expression almost instantaneously, her brows furrowed as she began to tremble violently against the mattress. 

“N-No. I don’t want to!” 

“It’s okay Anna.” Pamela cooed. “Just one look, that’s all we need. What’s your dads name?” Cleopatra shot upward as Anna began to thrash, lips curled backwards in a scream as the electricity blew out in the lights above them. Eyes still screwed tightly shut, the red headed woman shot up in her bed and slammed Dean backward into the wall as he attempted to approach her. 

“_No! He’s gonna kill me!” _

Before anyone could be rendered injured, Cleopatra stepped in front of Sam, hand outstretched and fingers curled to hold Anna tightly in her place. Pamela seemed to feel the resistance as she touched two fingers to her forehead before Anna was comfortably resting back on the mattress, now entirely lucid. 

“Hiya there Red.” Cleopatra clucked her tongue as she surveyed the damage. “Gain any of those memories back in that pretty little head of yours?” Anna ignored the question of the Nephilim as she rested her hand on Pamelas shoulder, feigning a weak smile before her eyes flickered between Sam and Dean. 

“Thank you Pamela.” She replied. “That helped a lot. I remember now.” 

Sam cleared his throat as he prepared to speak the question he knew that everyone else was looking for the answer to. “Remember what, exactly?” Two green irises that so closely mirrored his own gazed back at him, almost as if she was reluctant to confess her true identity. And based on the way she was avoiding looking at Cleopatra directly, the Nephilim assumed that Anna knew who she _really _was as well. 

“Who I am. More importantly,” Anna jabbed a finger at the raven haired woman. “How I know you. Your father..” Her eyes pricked with tears as Anna stood to her feet and slowly began walking in her direction, almost as if she was comparing her to her deceased father. “You look almost exactly like him.” 

***

”So... Castiel and Uriel. They’re the ones who came for me?” Anna asked as she paced in front of the doorway to Bobby’s living room. Dean, Sam, Cleopatra and Pamela were sitting side by side on the desk as they patiently waited for her to begin asking questions. 

“Yeah. They did.” Cleopatra replied, tilting her head to lean it against Deans shoulder. She half expected him to wince and pull away but was ecstatic when he relaxed into her touch instead. “Since you knew my father.. I’m curious. Were they in the same garrison?” 

“What’s a garrison?” 

“It’s a group of angels brough together to fight in Heavens battles.” Anna replied. “I was their leader, of sorts. Her father Josiah was my commander, very high up in ranks of the divine. He was a good man.” Cleopatra dipped her head to her chest and allowed her eyes to flutter shut, instead concentrating on the sound of Deans deep breathing. “I’m sure I have a death sentence on my head.”

”I’m still not entirely following.” Sam muttered as he scratched the back of his head. “Why would they want to kill you. What did you do?” 

“I disobeyed.” Anna’s voice faded off into nothing, almost as if she was reluctant to disclose the story of how she fell from Heaven. “Which for us is about the worst thing you can do. I fell.” Cleopatra shivered at the memory; Gabriel had told her when she was a child of Lucifer’s downfall, and how he had watched with solemn, tear filled eyes as his older brother had been cast from Heaven.

_I’ll never forget the way he screamed. _

“What do you mean?” Dean questioned. 

Before Cleopatra could answer, Pamela decided to answer for her. “It means she fell from Heaven and became human.” 

“It’s incredibly painful. Try cutting your kidney out with a butter knife.” Anna turned her eyes towards Cleopatra and managed a forced smile. “I fell not long before your father met your mother, Alexandria. He came to visit me a few times when I was younger, but obviously I didn’t know who he was. But I had fragments.. memories that were just enough to let me remember.”

“As much as I would love to continue this conversation, my father is not the focus of our problem here.” Cleopatra snapped, veering around the conversation to bring it back to the topic of the two angelic assassins. “What happened to your grace?”

"It was ripped from me when I fell. That is how I became human." 

Dean held his hands up before they could continue, his brows furrowed in confusion. "Come again?" He asked. Cleopatra snorted and gently nudged the older Winchester in the side. It was nice to be able to know the answers for once in her life. 

"My grace. It's.. energy. Hacked it out and fell. My mother Amy couldn't get pregnant, so she always called me her little miracle. She had no idea how right she was." 

Cleopatra peered around Anna to gaze upon Ruby in the doorway, as still as a statue and face contorted in fear. "I never thought I'd ever say this in my life, but the demon looks like she's gonna have an aneury-" She yelped loudly as Dean pinched the skin on her abdomen, followed by tightly gripping her wrists to prevent a collision to his sharp cheekbones by her hands. "_Dean!"_

"I am _trying_ to listen to the angel, you idiot." He retorted. "Because unlike you, Sam and I don't happen to know anything about them!" Dean turned back to Anna whos lips were curved into a smile, desperately trying to control her laughter as Cleopatra grumbled and crossed her arms over her chest in defeat. "So, you just forgot that you were Gods little Power Ranger?" 

"The older I got, the longer I was human, yeah." 

"Okay! My turn!" Ruby exclaimed. "I don't think any of you realize how royally screwed we are." The leather clad demons ominous irises fell onto the Nephilim, who was now staring back at her with cold golden eyes that sent shivers down her spine. She'd known since the day they'd met that Cleopatra was a threat, and most likely saw through the facade she was playing in order to reel Sam in. 

She was terrified of the outcome when the truth finally came out. 

"Ruby is right. Heaven wants me dead." 

"And Hell just.. wants her!" Ruby interjected. "A flesh and blood angel that you can question, torture, who bleeds! Sister, you're the freaking Stanley Cup. And sooner or later, Heaven or Hell, they're gonna find ya." 

"I know. That's why I'm gonna get it back." 

It was Sams turn to ask the question. "Get what back." 

"_My grace."_


	11. Him

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cleopatra and Castiel each deal with their internal struggle.   
Dean reunites with Alistair.   
The Winchester brothers finally talk, and years worth of guilt and anguish are brought bubbling to the surface.

_"I want to know. What are you to him?" _

_"I'm supposed to be his somebody. The woman who will forever stay by his side. But Castiel unfortunately doesn't know what the meaning of free will is.. And I'm not sure he ever will." _

\--------------------------

** _South Dakota_ **

After rejuvenating her energy with a cup of coffee and a half an hours worth of sleep, Cleopatra ventured out of the house and into the junkyard in search of Anna. If she was aware of who her father was, then she was most likely aware of the power she possessed as a Nephilim and she was not ready for the Winchesters to discover it yet. 

"Hey Dean, can I have a minute alone with Anna?" She called out softly, managing a warm smile as the older Winchester turned in her direction and nodded before disappearing in the direction of the house. The dark haired woman took her spot leaning against the back of the car Anna was currently positioned against, fingers tightly wrapped around her mug as they stared at the stars. "My father spoke highly of you. Said you were a good friend to him." 

"It is quite difficult for me to believe that Heaven left a Nephilim alive." Anna replied. "They have no idea, do they? Do they think you're just another angel?" 

Cleopatra nodded softly and took a sip of her drink. "They're just now grazing the surface of finding out what real angels are like. I'm not sure how they'd handle finding out that I was the most powerful entity on Earth. It's a miracle that I made it this long." 

"If you don't mind me asking, how did your father die?" 

The question made her heart constrict with a familiar pain she hadn't dwelt upon in quite some time. Her fingers interlocked tightly around her mug, eyes blurred with unshed tears as she found herself pulled back into the last memory of her father alive-- When John Winchester had taken him and Reagan away to a hunt not far from Lawrence. 

"He was killed on a hunt. We weren't told how.. but we had to bury him. Michael and Gabriel helped with it." She whispered, swallowing thickly as bile slowly worked its way up her throat. Warm fingers gently wrapped around her shoulders as Anna gave a comforting squeeze of assurance. "I try not to think about it, the fact that I don't have the answers I want. It makes me feel pathetic." 

"Okay then, if you don't want to answer that question, answer this one." The angel turned and looked her dead in the eyes, lips pressed in a hard line as she studied her reluctant facial expression. "I want to know. What are you to him?" 

"I'm supposed to be his somebody. The woman who will forever stay by his side. His _soulmate._ But Castiel unfortunately doesn't know what the meaning of free will is.. And I'm not sure he ever will." Cleopatra confessed, eyes cast downward in shame. "I met him only a few months ago but it feels like I've known him forever. I want to know what makes him hurt, who he loves, what he _loathes. _I want to fall in love with him and I'm absolutely terrified because of it." 

Before she could continue, Dean stopped in his tracks halfway to the house and sharply turned around to rush back to the Nephilim and her angelic acquaintance. "You are a great influence in what is to come from Castiel, Cleopatra. You will help mold him into a great man." Anna whispered. "Don't give up on him quite yet. He might surprise you." 

She managed a weak smile and squeezed Annas hand, eyes flickering to Deans form lingering a few feet away. Castiel had given her sparse details about rescuing the older Winchester from his time in Hell - but since the day she'd agreed to help prevent the apocalypse, Cleopatra had noticed more of a defeated glint in his emerald eyes and the slump in his shoulders whenever he thought himself to be alone. 

It could best be classified as _dying inside. _

Exhaling a shaky breath, she gripped the inside of Deans wrist and turned his body towards her, cursing quietly under her breath as his eyes met her own and she lifted her fingers to graze his sharp jawline. They were far away enough from Anna that she couldn't see them in the shadows of nightfall. "_Dean." _She whispered. Dean swallowed thickly at the scarce amount of space left between their bodies, her chest just barely brushing against his own as her fingers crept up to her temple. "_Breathe for me."_

And the second his eyes shut, she saw it all. 

A flurry of rage, blood, and endless fire. She saw Dean prying his mutilated body off of what looked to be a rack, fingers tightly gripping his new weapon as Alistair watched from a distance while he tore into other souls of the damned. 

And all the while, he was still crying out for _Sammy. _

Pulling herself away, the Nephilim was met with exhausted green eyes staring back into her own as she cupped his jaw in her hands. "Why-" He whispered, swallowing the tears threatening to pour from his eyes. Dean had tried so hard to repress his memories of Hell for sake of Sam, who had finally relented on his quest to pry answers from his brother. "Why did you do that? I-" 

"I wanted to know how badly they hurt you.'' She replied softly, her gaze never faltering from his own. "Because if we're really in this _together, _I need to know the man that is Dean Winchester. Not the boy who stole my brother and my father from me." Standing on her tiptoes, Cleopatra allowed her forehead to rest against his own as Dean subconsciously wrapped his muscular arms around her waist and pulled her against him. She knew that he was not a fan of physical contact from people he barely knew - but she wanted him to know that she was _there. _

"I can't-" He rasped, nestling her shoulder until his face fell into the crook of her neck. "I can't talk about this. Not yet. _Please._" 

"You don't have to. I know what it's like to keep things to yourself that you don't want anyone else to know. Just know this.." Lifting his head, Dean sighed deeply when he felt warm lips gently graze his cheek. "_I'm not going anywhere." _

She watched solemnly as he pried himself away from her and ventured out of the shadows to face the renegade angel. 

*** 

** _The Next Day _ **

After a fitful night sleep against the wall of the barn, Cleopatra awoke to Dean re-entering the Barn directly behind Sam. The older Winchester gulped down what remained of the alcohol in his flask as Sam anxiously awaited the return of Ruby, who had not shown her face since last night. 

"Little early for that, isn't it?" Anna quipped. 

"It's two a.m. somewhere, isn't it?" Anna curved around Dean and smiled softly as she extended a hand to Cleopatra, fingers linking tightly as she heaved the Nephilim to her feet. The two women exchanged a nod of understanding before turning towards Dean and Sam. 

"Are you okay?" Cleopatra asked. Her fingers wrapped around the hilt of the angel blade tucked into the sheath on her thigh as Dean lifted his head and managed the infamous Winchester smile - hoping it would be enough for her to drop the conversation. 

"Best I've been in a while, kid." 

Before anyone else could make a remark, the doors to the Barn were nearly wrenched off of their hinges as Castiel and Uriel reappeared; Expressions vacant and cold as they entered the barn and slammed the doors behind them. 

"Hello, Anna." Castiel said quietly, cobalt blue eyes locked on the redhead as she struggled to control her heavy breathing. "It is good to see you." His gaze flickered over to his Nephilim, who was desperately trying to keep herself out of his proximity for fear that she'd let her guard down and be vulnerable around Uriel. "And you as well, Cleopatra." 

_I want to fall in love with him and I'm absolutely terrified because of it._

"How?" Sam snapped angrily. "I want to know. How did you find us?" Two pairs of eyes flickered in Deans direction as the elder Winchester dipped his head towards his chest out of guilt, ashamed he'd revealed their location to the angels. "Dean?" 

"_I'm sorry." _

"I don't understand." Cleopatra murmured quietly. "Why?" Anna swiveled her head towards Sam and Cleopatra as they expectantly waited for an answer before she cast her gaze back onto the angels who'd betrayed her. 

"Because they gave him a choice." She replied firmly. "Either kill me, or kill you." Her dark eyes filled with malice as her entire body went rigid with pent up anger. "I know how their minds work." Turning on her heel, the renegade angel poised herself onto her tiptoes and captured Deans lips in a soft kiss, but only for a brief moment before she pulled away and rested her forehead against his own. "You did the best you could_. I forgive you."_ The trio watched as Anna stepped away from them, her shoulders back and her jaw set as she approached Castiel and Uriel. "Okay. No more tricks. No more running. I'm ready." 

"I'm sorry." Castiel confessed. 

"No, you're not. Not really. You don't know the feeling." She replied sharply. 

"Still, we have a history. It's just-" 

"_Orders are orders. _I know." 

Soft pads of long fingers ran over the Enochian runes on the hilt of her angel blade as Cleopatra watched the entire situation through narrowed eyes, itching to drive the blade through Uriels throat. Her father had never told her about angelic altercations like this - How desperate they were to remain nothing but machines, set on carrying out orders of the Divine. 

She was glad she wasn't an angel. 

"Please. Just.. make it quick." 

Her blood turned to ice at the sound of a icy baritone echoed through the room. Whipping around on her heel, the Nephilim found herself faced with two demons, a nearly unconscious Ruby, and Alistair. She had yet to meet the demon face to face, but she had seen the torture he had put Dean through during his time in Hell. He was a force to be reckoned with. 

"Don't you _dare _touch a hair on that poor girls head." Alistair exclaimed, bony finger pointed into the air. Cleopatra shoved Dean, Sam and Anna to the opposite side of the Barn as Castiel and Uriel brushed past her, but not before the former could let his fingers lightly brush against hers. Electricity ran up her arm as their eyes met for a fraction of a second before Dean was pulling her down with him. 

_I will not let them hurt you. _

"Do you think you can get the upper hand on Cas?" Dean whispered in her ear, completely aware of the fact that he had pulled her directly into his lap. Cleopatra shifted uncomfortably as the tension grew between the angels and demons standing only mere feet apart from one another. "Or kill Uriel? I'm game for either." 

"Let me take out the demons." She replied, gasping as Castiel was forced onto his back in front of her, Alistairs fingers wrapped tightly around his neck as he struggled to regain the upper hand. The angel managed to tilt his head backward just enough to meet her petrified expression, his blue eyes pleading with her for help. They still had so much to do together. She wasn't about to let a single demon take out her chance at forever with Castiel. ''Screw it. I'll go for Alistair instead." 

"Wait-Cleo, _no!" _

Ultimately deciding to not use her powers to overcome Alistair and despite the amount of demons that Uriel was currently eliminating, she raced towards the crowbar in front of Sam only for Dean to scoop it upward and slam it into the side of Alistairs head. His grip immediately loosened on Castiel, allowing the angel the ability to regain his breath as he found himself pulled backward by strong arms looped under his trenchcoat.

Worried blue-green eyes looked him over as a bright light filled the room, nearly blinding her had it not been for Cas' hand coming to rest over her eyes. "_Don't open them. I do not wish blindness upon you._" He whispered into her mind. Once it had receded and Anna had vanished with it, now a full blown angel, Castiel pried himself away from her with a final caress of her cheek before stepping between Dean and Uriel, and altogether vanishing. 

Out of breath and slightly star-struck, Cleopatra dusted off her jeans and adjusted her flannel, hair veiling her eyes as they narrowed at Sam and Dean. "I would like to know who's _brilliant _plan it was to bring Heaven and Hell into the same place at the same time? Are you trying to kill us all-" A snort of disbelief broke past her lips when Sam slowly rose his hand into the air. "Of course." 

"When you have Godzilla and Mothra at each others throats, it's best to just let them fight it out." Sam retorted, gasping as she lunged forward and punched him as hard as she possibly could in the bicep. His entire body rippled as his hand flew to cover the swelling area. "_O-Ow!_" 

"You two-" Her index finger jutted between Sam and Dean before motioning to the Barn doors that would lead them to where the Impala had been parked. "You two owe me a beer." 

***

Cool air rippled through her messily tied up hair as Cleopatra stood several feet away from the 1967 sleek black Chevrolet Impala, allowing the brothers a moment to disclose on what had happened. Her eyes regarded the rolling hills and sunshine that just barely reflected on the fields through the overcast clouds. 

She could not help but continue pondering what Anna had said to her the night before. The angel had not seemed the slightest bit fazed when she had confessed about the two of them being soulmates. If anything.. It seemed as if Anna **_wanted _**her to be Castiel's lover. Maybe falling in love would change him - or even better, make him into a better version of the man he currently was. 

Smirking against the rim of her nearly empty beer bottle, the Nephilim inhaled the crisp air and tuned into her heightened hearing - courtesy of being half angel and half human. She had the ears that angels had whenever humans would pray to them. 

_"I know you heard him. Alistair. What he said.. He said I had promise." _

She sucked a sharp breath in between her teeth as realization hit her. Dean was finally gathering the courage to talk about his time in Hell. _"I heard him." _

_"And you're not the least bit curious?" _

_"Dean, I'm incredibly curious. Got even worse whenever Cleopatra came in the other day looking all star struck, and I remembered that she can see memories. So I figure she probably knows. But you're not talking about Hell, and I'm not pushing." _

That was what she'd learned about Sam - Loyal, brave, overly compassionate Sam Winchester who cared more about his blood brother them himself. 

"_It wasn't four months you know. It was four months up here but down there... I don't know. Time is different. It was more like forty years." _Tears pricked the corners of her eyes as Cleopatra allowed them to flutter shut, desperate to conceal her emotions that seemed to constantly betray her. "_They sliced and carved and tore at me in ways that you.. you can't even imagine. Did it until there was nothing left." _

_"And then?" _

_"And then suddenly I'd be whole again. Like magic, just so they could start in all over. And Alistair at the end of every day would come over and make me an offer. To take me off the rack if I put souls on." _

Figuring that the brothers would need more emotional support then feeding off of each other, Cleopatra adjusted her flannel and new black jacket - courtesy of Dean - as she sat her beer bottle in the grass and with a snap of her fingers rendered it as nothing more then shards of glass. Her combat boots dug into the moist earth as she stepped onto gravel and began to trek back to the Impala. 

_"If I was the one who started the torturing. And every day I told him to stick it where the sun shines. For thirty years, I told him. But then I just couldn't do it anymore Sammy. I couldn't." _

As quietly as she possibly could, Cleopatra wedged herself in between the windshield and Deans body, sitting at a reasonable distance in case he had no desire to be touched. But much to her bewilderment, the older Winchester almost instantaneously reached outward and tightly gripped her hand in his own. She was so small compared to him. 

_"And I got off that rack. God help me, I got right off of it and I started ripping them apart. I lost count of how many souls. The things that I did to them." _

Tears ran down his prominent cheekbones as Deans blurred eyes fell to his lap, only to land on Cleopatras fingers gently turning his wrist over and begin tracing words on the inside of his forearm. "Dean, you held out for thirty years. That's longer then anyone would have." 

"How I feel.. This thing inside me.. I wish I couldn't feel a thing Sammy." 

_You _

_"_I wish I couldn't feel a thing." 

_Are _

_Not _

_Alone _


	12. On The Head Of A Pin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Feelings are confronted. Castiel realizes that his siblings are not all they seem, and Dean deals with the reality of the Seals.

"_That's what this is. Solely your choice." She tentatively wrapped his fingers around the hilt of her blade and guided it to the hollow of her throat. "End me. Love me. But whatever you choose.. Know that your choice, either way, will affect you for the rest of eternity." _

_One clean swipe. That's all it would take. _

_But for some reason he can't find it in him to do it. _

_His eyes shone with unshed tears as he studied her - Lips pressed into a firm line, flickering gold eyes focused on him, jaw set, completely ready to accept death with open arms. Castiel felt his vessel shiver at the sheer acceptance in her expression before he stumbled backwards, almost as if touched by fire, and drops the blade to the ground. _

_"I won't." He ground out, tears trickling down his subtle cheekbones as stunned eyes met his own. "I will not- I won't kill you under Heavens orders. If I am to be a free angel, an angel who has fallen.." Castiel closed the gap between himself and the Nephilim and rested his hand on the curve of her neck. "I will rebel in order to fall in love with you." _

_*** _

Previously

After careful consideration, Cleopatra opted to return home for a short while and request to be let go from the Lawrence Police Department. Her superior officers attempted to convince her that staying on the force was her best option, but made no prove to protest when she collected her things and returned her possessions to her apartment across from the park where she had met Castiel. 

She met her mother for lunch the following day, somehow managing to keep Sam and Dean Winchester from the conversation while they chatted over sandwiches and tea. Rain poured from the overcast skies onto the busied streets of Topeka as she sipped at her drink and listened to Alexandria ramble on about the newest lore she had been reading. 

It was all so... simplistic. While she yearned to be totally free from the life, being involved in hunting had brought her the revelation that she had a _soulmate. _A soulmate who she was sure was well on his way to gathering the courage to approach her again, whether or not it was through Sam or Dean or through a dream like he had so many times before. 

"Cleo? Sweetie?" Alexandria leaned over the table with her hands folded as she furrowed her brow at the absence of her daughters presence at the table. "Cleopatra." The raven haired woman snapped over to her mother and managed a soft smile as she tugged on the end of her braid that rested against her shoulder. "You're thinking about him." 

"N-No-" She stuttered, rifling through her purse to produce her wallet and pay for their meal. "No I'm not. I'm thinking about returning home and-" Her sentence broke when her mother rested her hand against her own and slowly lifted her chin to meet her eyes. 

"I know you're thinking about him because I've seen that look on myself." Alexandria replied softly as she stood to her feet and wrapped her fingers around her wallet. "I'll go pay for our lunch." 

Just as she moved to follow her mother through the growing crowd of the cafe, her phone began to ring from where it was tucked in her coat. Cleopatra stepped into the nearest hallway and leaned against the wall, phone poised against her shoulder as she surveyed the people rifling about through the line. "Hello?" 

"_Cleo? It's me." _Sam replied urgently. "_Cas and Uriel took Dean." _

Now

"So you're telling me that Alistair was capturing reapers for his own purposes, you found them and released them, and in return Cas and Uriel kidnapped him only to make Dean his interrogator?" Cleopatra paced the length of the Winchesters motel room as Sam watched her intently, his bottom lip pulled tightly between his teeth. "That's.. That's a choice with catastrophic consequences." 

"And since you and Cas are so closely knitted together.." Sam replied reluctantly as he tugged on the ends of his hair. "I thought that you'd be able to pin down his location and keep an eye on Dean. He.. You know he isn't strong enough yet." 

It hadn't even occurred to her that she had a physical and mental bond with Castiel, much less that Dean was inadequately prepared to torture the same demon who had made his life a living hell in the time he had been downstairs. If anyone was going to be rescuing the older Winchester from his oppressor and also breaking through to Castiel at the same time... It needed to be her. 

"I'll get back to you shortly." 

In a flutter of wings she was gone, once again soaring over the majesty that was the United States. She had only done this a handful of times with Gabriel as a child - When the Archangel had been teaching her about the wonder of Heaven and the Earth that God had created in seven days. A world that was soon to be destroyed if she didn't help prevent the rising of the Devil she never wanted to meet. 

Her eyes keenly surveyed the warehouse where she could feel the conflict of Castiel's vessel, tucking her wings inward towards her own body as she safely made the ascent onto the concrete outside the building. Sam had asked her to remain unseen until she absolutely needed to intervene, so that was exactly what she intended to do. 

_"_What's going on, Cas? Since when does Uriel put you on a leash?_"_

Her heart jumped into her throat as she ducked through the open door and pressed her back against the wall, invisible to the angel and the righteous man he had risen as they bickered with one another. 

"My superiors have begun to question my sympathies." Castiel replied almost automatically, as if he had taken time to rehearse his answer. 

"Sympathies?" 

"I was getting too close to the humans and Neph-" Her eyes widened as Castiel immediately halted in his answer, praying that he wasn't careless enough to give away her true heritage to the hunter. "To the humans and _angel _in my charge. You. _Cleopatra._" His voice softened as his pale lips quirked upward in the ghost of a smile. "They feel that I have begun to express emotions. Doorways to doubt. This can impair my judgement." 

Dean frowned as he stepped in front of the Angel. He didn't know everything about Castiel's relationship with the newest member of his family, but he was far more then curious to know why he was so _protective _over her. Why his mood seemed to rise every time she was in his presence. 

Why he refused to lay a finger on her. 

"Well you can tell Uriel, or whoever, that you do not want me doing this." Dean replied sharply, his shoulders shaking as he heaved a sigh. She knew that this weight would forever be burdened on himself and eventually.. He would no longer be able to carry it alone. "Once I go through, you will _not _like the man who comes out." 

Tears blurred his eyes as Dean glanced downward at the wrist Cleopatra had written on days before. He had asked her in private to take a permanent marker and write those words - **_You are not alone _**\- on the inside of his wrist. It was a constant reminder that someone was still looking out for him. Still wanting to keep his heart intact. 

"Want it? No." Castiel spoke up. "But I've been told we need it. For what it's worth, I would give anything to not have you do this." 

She held her breath until Dean walked through the enforced steel door and slammed it behind him, leaving her seemingly alone with her angel. 

Cleopatra positioned her foot against the wall and crossed her arms over her chest, shifting in her scarlet flannel as she watched Castiel move across the room. His muscles rippled against the fabric of his dress shirt as he nervously wrung his hands while waiting for the screaming to echo against the walls of the warehouse. He looked.. nervous. Unsure of the outcome.

"Father, I'm not sure if you're listening right now.." His voice began in a whisper as he gripped the side of the table and allowed his eyes to flutter shut. "But I ask for your guidance in this situation. Help me to do right by Dean Winchester, and help me to do right by my soulmate." His voice dropped off entirely as cobalt irises swept across the room, almost as if he was expecting her to step from the shadows and surprise him. "Cleopatra Carter is a _good _woman. I do not deserve a woman such as her and I am quite afraid of what will happen when our paths finally cross again. I want to make the correct choice." Tears pricked the corners of her eyes as the Nephilim covered her mouth with her hands, hoping it would help her strangled cries to recede. _Such a pansy. You're crying over his prayer to God about you. _"I want to be good for her, Father. I want to be the one she deserves. Please.. Please help me be good for her." 

She almost thought he was going to continue his lament in asking God for his Nephilim to be safe, but his inquiry was halted by the shattering of lightbulbs above his head. Castiel immediately tensed at the presence of Anna standing in the doorway behind him. "You were praying about your soulmate." 

"Is it a crime for me to wish safety upon the woman our Father has set aside for me?" He retorted. "I only wonder what will happen when I see her again. If she'll finally try to kill me for putting Dean into this predicament." The Seraphim turned around and regarded Anna with his usual stoic, emotionless expression. "Anna." 

"Hello Castiel." 

"Your human body?" 

Boots softly slapped the concrete as Anna entered the room. "It was destroyed. I guess I'm sentimental.. Called in some old favors and-" Both angels remained silent as Alistairs screams took the place of the silence that had encased the warehouse only moments before. Cleopatra remained frozen as she watched the encounter unfold in front of her, fingers wound around the end of her braid. 

"You shouldn't be here. We still have orders to kill you." He commented. 

"Somehow I don't think you'll try." Anna remarked as she glanced upward and around the empty room, albeit the hidden Nephilim and the angel with his hands tucked into the pockets of his trench coat. "Where is Uriel? Surely he would have made a comment about your prayer-" 

Castiel held his hand up to halt her statement. "He went to Heaven to receive revelation." He informed her quietly, his baritone vibrating deep in his chest as his eyes remained focused on the door to the dungeon. Anna exhaled slowly before she turned around and slowly tilted her head inquisitively. 

"_Why are you letting Dean do this?" _

"He's doing Gods work." 

"Torturing? That's Gods work? Are you kidding me?" Anna exclaimed angrily. Cleopatra leaned forward and braced her hands against her knees as her angel blade grew heavy against her thigh, prepared to pull it out of the sheath at a moments notice. "Stop him Cas, _please. _Before you ruin one of the two real weapons you have!" 

"Who are we to question the will of God?" 

"Unless this isn't his will!" 

"Then where do the orders come from?" He spat back. 

"I don't know. One of our superiors, maybe.. But not him. If they had come from him, you would have never thought to lay a finger on the Nephilim our superiors ordered you to eliminate because they still believe she's going to destroy the Universe." Castiel swallowed the bile rising in his throat as his fists clenched, eyes falling shut as he tried to block out the memory of the second time Cleopatra had come sprinting across the park in Lawrence to greet him. Her smile made his heart ache for.. something. 

He just wasn't sure what that something was. 

"The Father you love? Do you think he wants this? Do you think he'd ask this of you?" Anna was nearly inches away from Castiels face now, her tone thickening with a methodical anger that Cleopatra had admired. "Do you think _this _is righteous?!" 

Her heart beat wildly in her chest as Alistairs screams ripped through her body, sending goose flesh rising in their wake. 

"That thing you're feeling? It's called doubt. These orders are wrong, and you _know _it. That's why you haven't killed me yet. That's why you couldn't find it in you to kill Cleopatra." A wave of jealousy spread through her bones as Cleopatra watched Anna settle her hand directly on top of Cas'. "You can do the right thing here. You're afraid, Cas. I was too. But together-" 

"_Together?_" He replied indignantly, prying himself away from Annas grasps. "I am nothing like you! You.. You fell!"

"Cas-" 

"_Go." _He commanded. His facade fell the moment Anna disappeared, and Castiel found himself once again gazing at the ground. 

Do you ever feel the moment before something goes wrong and evolves into chaos? The moment where everything seems to be going the way you want it to, and then _one thing _sets the order off and the entire world just.. implodes around you? You aren't expecting it. You aren't anticipating things to go bad. But that's how life goes - The bad things happen when you least expect them. 

The second she heard Dean screaming, the Nephilim tore from her hiding spot and burst into the dungeon only to find Alistair free of his chains with his fingers wrapped tightly around the older Winchesters throat. Her eyes widened at the blood spattered across Deans face, a deep purple bruise already beginning to form beneath his eye as they threatened to roll back into his head. 

"_Hey douchebag!" _Alistair swiveled his head around to regard the newcomer standing just outside the Devils Trap. "I don't believe we've met yet, but I'd like you to get your hands off of the man I'm supposed to be guarding." 

A disbelieving laugh broke past the demons lips as he turned around fully, curiosity piqued at the bravery this mere woman possessed to be threatening a being such as himself. "And what are you? His guardian angel?" 

"Something like that." 

Warm hands pushed her to the side just as Deans body was cast in the same direction, Cleopatra landing directly on top of him as Castiel thrust the dagger she'd seen Sam use frequently into Alistairs chest cavity. Positioning herself over Deans body with her knees at his hips, Cleopatra examined his lacerations and gently brought his face back to meet her concerned gaze - Fingers sweeping over every inch of visible skin she could find. "Don't quit now on me, Dean." She pleaded, warmth spreading through her fingertips as she rested her palm against his forehead to begin healing his external wounds. 

"Looks like God is on my side today!" Alistair declared sardonically, grinning wickedly as he threw multiple punches into Castiels jaw until a sickening _crack _echoed throughout the room. Just as the blood had been cleaned from Deans face did Cleopatra decide to look up, horrified as she watched blood trickle down the side of Castiels temple while Alistair had him pinned to the nearest support beam. "Like roaches, you celestials. Really wish I knew how to kill you, but all I can do is send you back to Heaven." 

Castiels hands struggled to pry the demon away from his throat as it began to grow harder to breathe on top of the incantation that he had began to utter moments before. His blurred vision shifted to behind Alistair where a growing golden light had begun to form, revealing the outline of two massive wings and the outline of a familiar blade. 

What caught his attention was the stunning gold eyes staring back at him. 

"_I forgot to mention," _She snarled, grinning widely as her lips were inches from Alistairs ear. The demon balked as he felt the tip of her angel blade dig deeper into his skin; Not enough to kill him, but enough to wound him further. "_He's under my protection too, you prick." _

She collapsed to her knees just as Sam entered the room, angel blade cast aside as she moved to examine Castiel. He threw his arm over her shoulder as Cleopatra helped him to his feet, hand splayed against his waist as they slowly ambled behind Sam. "Are you alright?" She whispered softly. Castiel entwined his fingers through hers, responding in a soft squeeze as they intently watched Sam pry the answers to the murder of the garrison's angels from the demon. 

"Who-Who is murdering the _angels?!_" Sam growled, turning his wrist further as Alistair struggled to move away from the invisible force clamped around his neck. The air was pungent with the smell of fear and blood as exhaustion slowly began to seep into her bones, and she found herself beginning to buckle under the angels weight.

"Don't give in. Not yet." He whispered in her ear. "He's almost cracked him." 

"_I-I don't-t kn-ow! It's not u-us- We're not d-doing it!" _

"Yeah well, I don't believe you!" He snapped in response. 

"_Lillith is not doing it! She wouldn't kill seven angels, she'd kill a hundred. A thousand-" _Alistair rested his head against the brick wall behind him and ran his tongue over the blood on his teeth. "_Go ahead, send me back. If you can.."_

She watched in horror as a mixed expression of pride and want for power passed across Sams face. "I'm stronger then that now. Now I can kill." Her eyes flickered to their stunning gold as she focused on the longing from Sams soul, recoiling the moment she was met with nothing but darkness. Cleopatra desperately attempted to block out the sounds of Alistairs moans as Sam slowly and painfully brought his life to an end, held together by the Seraphim wrapped around the side of her body. Her eyes never parted from watching Sam's soul writhe inside of his body, almost as if it was caught in between crying out for help to be brought back to life - or succumbing to his growing thirst for power and darkness and blood. 

There was a reason he was called Sam Winchester - _The Boy With The Demon Blood. _

Dread settled in her stomach as she and Castiel exchanged glances. If it wasn't the demons who had set out to kill the angels from his garrison, then who was? 

And _why? _

*** 

''I did not wish harm upon Dean." Castiel murmured as he followed on Cleopatras heels to Deans hospital room. The two of them had arrived to find the older Winchester totally incapacitated - With tubes down his throat and an IV inserted into his body to keep him hydrated. His skin was a pale white with multiples lacerations and bruises forming around the sharp edges of his face. "I only wished to pry the truth from Alistair." 

Cleopatra turned around and smiled at the Seraph as he ducked his head downward in shame. "I know you didn't, but Sam doesn't know that." She whispered softly as her fingers grazed the side of his jaw. His cobalt irises met hers and for a moment.. He felt an inexplicable peace. "I healed what I could earlier during the fight, but Dean has extensive damage. It will take some time to heal what has been done." 

Sam caught sight of the two angels standing in the doorway and immediately stood to his feet, following the two of them out into the hallway just outside Deans room. "_Sam-" _

"Get in there and heal him." Sam snapped. "Miracle. _Now!_" 

"I can't!" Castiel exclaimed irritably. "Cleopatra-" 

"That's not the point! _Cleo _did not put my brother in there! You and Uriel.. You are the ones who put Dean in that situation because you can't keep a simple Devils Trap together!" Cleopatra allowed her hand to ghost up Castiels arm as her fingers tentatively brushed the fabric of his coat, grounding the angel to reality and thus gathering his courage to admit to the younger Winchester that he had no idea _why. _

_"_I have no idea what happened." Castiel confessed. "That trap - It shouldn't have broken. I'm sorry-" 

"This whole thing was _pointless_. Do you understand that? The demons aren't doing the hits." Realization passed over Cleopatras face as she pondered what they had learned, stepping away from Castiel and letting her hand fall back to her side. If it wasn't the demons, then it had to be another angel. A rogue - or someone who craved power. 

"Maybe Alistair was lying." Castiel protested, turning around to regard her with wide blue eyes. "You were there, you saw it too. Do you think he was lying?" Her heart ached as the Seraph stared at her pleadingly, begging for her to take his side before she gently shook her head. 

"No. He wasn't lying at all." She said softly. She followed Sams form into the hospital room before he vanished from her sight entirely, leaving her alone with the conflicted Seraph. Cleopatra brought her hands to rest against his shoulders and gently guide him in her direction before her fingers instinctively curled around the nape of his neck. "Cas-" 

"Your touch." He said quietly, almost quietly enough that she didn't hear him. "I should not feel something when you touch me, but I do. My vessels heart pounds in your presence. It's grounding, it keeps me going.. Knowing that I will encounter you again and can learn what _touch _feels like from somebody destined to love you." She was so caught off guard by his answer that before she could coherent respond, he had completely vanished from her sight as well. 

_ **To be continued in the next chapter** _


	13. Defying Destiny

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Synonyms for Letting Go (V): Surrender, Yield

_''Castiel." Uriel called out as he straightened his spine from where he sat on the bench. Castiel had arrived to the park only moments before to find himself amidst a field of new fallen snow, the air bitterly chilled around him and his fingers trembling inside the pockets of his coat from his growing fear. "I have received revelation. Our superiors.. They want us to stop hunting the demon responsible for killing our brothers and sisters! Something- Something is wrong up there, can you feel it?" _

_He knew something was going on in Heaven, but Castiel was far more concerned about what was going on inside of himself. _

_"The murders... Maybe they aren't demonic." He murmured. ''Sam Winchester and Cleopatra Carter said that the demons had nothing to do with it." _

_"If not the demons, then what could it be?!" _

"_The Will of Heaven." Cas proclaimed as he squinted at the ground, tongue darting out to wet his cracked lips as Uriel watched him intently at his side. "We are failing, Uriel. We are losing the war. Perhaps the garrison is being punished for it!" _

_"You think our father would-" _

_Castiel tilted his head toward the Heavens and exhaled slowly out of his nose to bring his thoughts back into focus. He had been holding out hope that his Father had some kind of a destiny laid out in the stars for him and his Nephilim, that his world wasn't one to end in blood and revenge and death. He was an Angel of The Lord, and that's what he wanted to forever remain. He didn't want to lose his faith in his father. _

_"I don't think our Father is giving orders anymore." _

_But in that moment of self-realization, Castiel Novaks faith slowly began to break away piece by piece. _

***

He needed to see her. He needed to see that she still cared, that she would _always _care, because if he didn't have the reassurance that Cleopatra Abigail Carter would be with him, then there was no point to it all once he rebelled against Heaven. That was.. if he did at all. 

"Anna?" He called out in the silence, the tips of his shoes dug into the snow as he spanned back and forth on the empty sidewalk outside the Mansion. "Anna, _please." _His heart lifted as the light above him began to flicker and his attention was brought to the red-headed angel on the front steps. 

"Did you finally decide to kill me after all?" 

He gently shook his head. "I'm alone." 

Anna seemed to immediately notice the change in demeanor and the slumped posture of his shoulders that normally stood so tall, so elegant, so proud. She narrowed her eyes and tilted her head at one of the few remaining friends she had left in the garrison. "What do you want Castiel?" 

"I'm considering disobedience." He muttered. 

"_Good."_

"No-" He shot back, eyes fluttering shut as the same mental image popped up: Cleopatra Carter, mid-summer in Lawrence, sprinting at him from across the town park with the most extravagant smile he had ever seen in the entirety of Creation. She was his Fathers most beautiful and most treasured of creatures. "It's not. For the first time in my life.. I feel-" He swallowed the words that soon died in his throat. _Unsure. Terrified. Borderline to falling in love. _

If there even is a term for it. 

"It gets worse." Anna said as she descended the stone steps to close the gap between them. "Choosing your own course of action, the people you fall in love with.. It's confusing. Terrifying." The moment her hand met his shoulder to squeeze it in reassurance, his eyes snapped over to gaze at her gesture before she recoiled as if having been touched by fire. "That's right, you're too good for my help. I'm just trash. A walking blasphemy." 

"_Anna-" _Cas called out weakly. "I don't know what to do. Please- Please tell me what to do." She gazed back over her shoulder at him just as a soft golden light emitted from the front porch of the house up the stairs, and a familiar figure had emerged from the shadows. 

"No. That's not my job. This time.." Anna brought her focus to the stairs where Cleopatra stood; Now dressed in a elegant black trench coat and wrap around scarf and clad in jeans with accompanying combat boots from the waist down. "This time, it's her turn to talk." 

Anna disappeared in a flash of light and was replaced by the figure of Cleopatra, who slowly descended the stairs of the mansion with her eyes locked on Castiel. “You say you seek disobedience, Castiel?” She tutted. “That’s what you don’t quite seem to understand yet, angel. You already did disobey whenever you refused to _kill_ me all those months ago. This reluctance I keep seeing in you? Anna is right. It's called doubt." Castiel bit down hard on the flesh of his cheek as she stepped in front of him, so close to his vessel that he could almost feel her heartbeat. "But what this all boils down to is choices. You have a choice here." 

"How do I know which one is the right choice?" 

With as solemn of an expression as she could muster, Cleopatra slowly extended her hand towards the Seraph and rested the tips of her fingers over his dress shirt before entirely settling her hand against his toned torso. "Us humans call it relying in our heart. It's not always so reliable.. But it has never steered me wrong before." She said quietly. "The only time my heart didn't listen was when I _felt _the anguish coursing through my veins the day my brother was murdered, and chalked it up to being the stomach bug. That was when I didn't listen to my heart last." 

Castiel had heard of this - The Nephilims Bond. When two Nephilim were born into the same household, they had a bond that far outmatched any in the Universe. They felt each others emotions - Pain, joy, sorrow, anguish, guilt, love, grief. It was tragic and beautiful in itself, but he didn't envy her for it. He was not sure how well he could manage having to physically _feel _one of his brothers or sisters die in his own body. 

"I'm going to make this very easy for you, Castiel." Cleopatras voice brought him back to reality, tilting his chin upward as the Nephilim and Seraph locked eyes. "You can use this as an opportunity to do one of two things. You can take this angel blade-" He froze as her signature weapon slid from the sleeve of her coat and tore into the fabric of her blouse, exposing slivers of milky skin to his eyes. "And run me through with it. That means you have succeeded in your mission to exterminate the last living Nephilim." 

"_Cleo-_" 

"Or!" She held up a single finger as she slowly sank to her knees, eyes glistening with unshed tears. "You can take one look at me and decide that despite the odds, despite what _Heaven _tells you.. That feeling emotions is okay. That falling in love with me is _right_. Because sweetheart, let me tell you, it's not just irony that your Daddy set me aside to be your wife. It's destiny." Determination crossed her face as Castiel stared down at her, visibly dumbfounded as she held the hilt of her angel blade in her hand. 

"Make your choice, Castiel. End me, but know I am no longer afraid to die. Love me, but know that love has wounded me deeply before, when I thought I loved the person who physically abused me. In whatever you choose.. Know that your choice, either way, will affect you for the rest of eternity." 

Seconds turned into minutes, and soon he felt as if he had entered Eternity. Time stood still around him. The bitter chill seeped into his aching bones as he gripped the angel blade in his hands, glowering downward at the woman who knelt at his feet.

One clean swipe. That's all it would take. 

But for some reason he can't find it in him to do it. 

The frigid air blustered around him, whistling eerily as he studied her from head to toe - Cracked lips pressed into a firm line as her flickering gold eyes focused on him, jaw tightly set, completely ready to accept death with open arms. Castiel felt his vessel shiver at the sheer acceptance in her expression before he stumbled backwards, almost as if touched by fire, and dropped the blade to the ground. 

"_No!_" He yelled as his breathing became labored, fingers threading in his hair as they often did when he was distressed. Cleopatra felt her breath catch in her throat as his eyes flickered to a stunning blue - The inner essence of angelic grace. Her eyes remained wide as he paced the walk in front of her, unsure of what to say next as he muttered incoherently under his breath before turning to face her. "You can't ask me to do this! I.. I will not do this!" 

"Why not?" She pressed. It had been a long time coming to see the cold and calculating side to the angel who had vowed to never point his anger directly at her and to never lay a finger on her. "Why won't you do it? I'm waiting here, you know! You wanna _impress _Heaven?" Her tone turned venomous as she extended her hand outward to call out to her angel blade, white fingers enveloping the hilt as it flew from the snow and back into her hand. "You want to be a proper Angel? Then do it! Take my life and march back into Heaven knowing that you fulfilled in your mission, Castiel!"

_Just do it. _

"Be the soldier you so desperately want to be! C'mon then! Kill me!" 

_Kill me. Let this uncertainty, these secrets that encompass my life.. Let it be over. _

Her voice slowly rose until it became a ragged, breathless scream from exposure to the bitter cold. "DO IT! JUST KILL ME!" The Seraph rushed forward as Cleopatra pounded her chest with her fist, his strong arms lifting her upward and wrenching the blade from her grasp. In an instant she was encased in his warmth, overwhelmed by his intoxicating scent as she now wore his coat and was pressed against the nearest tree. Her lips began to quiver as a veil of hair concealed her tear filled eyes, blocking them from Castiels sight. 

"I won't do it." He whispered, the pads of his fingers coming up to cup her jaw and bring her attention directly to him. The only sound in that moment was that of his frantic heartbeat as they longingly stared at one another - Amazed that instead of following his gut instinct and killing her, he had instead chosen the other path: Falling in love with the woman his Father set aside for him. "I will not kill you under the name of Heaven. It is like I said when we met.. You are an innocent. An innocent I will devote the rest of my life to falling in love with." Castiel slowly close the minuscule amount of space left between them until his lips grazed the shell of her ear, sending shivers down her spine from the contact. 

_"I will rebel against all odds to fall in love with you, Cleopatra Carter." _

*** 

It was not much later when he found himself back in the dungeon where they had entrapped Alistair, keen eyes peeled for clues as to how the demon had escaped the ancient Devils Trap. He rotated his wrist to tighten the knob that had caused the pipe to leak in the first place before Uriel entered the room behind him. 

"You called? What do you say Castiel.. Will you join me? Will you fight with me?" 

He should have known since the start of this that Uriel would be the one to betray him. Uriel - The one angel who hated the Winchesters more then anything else, who constantly questioned the identity of his nearly non-existent Nephilim. Uriel.. Who wanted nothing more then to see Lucifer freed. 

"Strange." He commented. "Strange how a leaky pipe can undo the work of angels when we ourselves are supposed to be the agents of fate." 

"Alistair was much more powerful then we had imagined-" Uriel interjected. 

Castiel gently shook his head and said, "No. No demon can overpower that trap. I made it myself." He studied the flickering gaze of his ally before moving to stand in front of him. "We have been friends for a long time, Uriel. Fought by each others sides, served together away from Home for what seems like forever. We're _brothers_, Uriel. Pay me that respect and tell me the truth." 

"Truth is.. The only thing that can kill an angel, is an angel." Castiel winced at the familiar grind of metal as Uriel unsheathed his blade and twirled it between his fingers. 

"_You?_" He asked in disbelief. "You are the one who broke that Devils Trap? Set Alistair on Dean?" 

"Alistair should have never been taken alive." Uriel remarked. "_Really _inconvenient, Cas. Yes.. I did turn the screw a little. Alistair should have killed Dean and escaped, and you should've happily gone on scapegoating the demons-" 

"For the murders of our kin?" 

"Not murders, Castiel." He replied matter of factly. "My work is conversion. How long have we waited here? How long have we played this game? By rules that make absolutely no sense?!"

"This world.." Castiel began. "It is our Fathers world-" 

The venom that dripped from the opposite angel's voice did not go amiss as he responded, "Our _Father _stopped being that, if he ever was, the moment he created them!" He shivered in disgust as Castiels entire vessel tensed, his shoulder blades tightly pressed together as the tension in the air grew thick. "Humanity. His vagrants. His whining, puking larvae. The thought of them just makes me want to convulse." 

"Are-Are you trying to convert me?" 

"I wanted you to join me!" He exclaimed. "With you, we can be powerful enough to-" 

Castiel tilted his head. "To do what?" He murmured, his voice dropping several octaves as Uriel squirmed underneath his intense gaze. 

"_To raise our brother." _

It had never occurred to him that Uriel had been a devout follower of Lucifer, intent on breaking the fallen Arch-Angel from his cage in Hell and setting him free upon the world. But now as he stared down his comrade, a ally who had been at his side through the bloodiest of wars, Castiel cursed himself for not recognizing the tell-tale signs of betrayal sooner. 

"Lucifer." 

Awe flashed across Uriel's features. "You do remember him, don't you? How strong he was.. How beautiful. And he didn't bow to humanity. He was punished for defending us! Now if you wanna believe in something Cas, believe in him." 

_"There's this game that humans play whenever we're bored or getting to know people." Cleopatra inquired as she tucked her knees beneath her, sat at Cas' side as they watched the children gambol throughout the park. It was only their fourth meeting since the day they'd met, but she never felt safer then when she was with him. "It's called Twenty Questions. I'll start off with something easy. What is your favorite color?" _

He'd said blue at the time. Like the translucent blue of icicles or a mid-summers sky. Now it's the color of melted gold; Or more specifically, the color of her eyes. 

_After twenty minutes of rifling through the most simplistic questions she could think of between the two of them, Castiel finally had summoned up the courage to ask the one that had been nagging at his brain since they had started. "What are you afraid of, Cleopatra?" _

"Lucifer is not God." 

"God isn't God anymore, Castiel." 

_She was obviously caught off guard by the question, her veins pinched by ice almost immediately as her eyes fell on the blonde boy she saw quite frequently during her daily life in town. He was the spitting image of her brother - Which was why she was constantly making trips here to begin with. "I'm afraid of loss. Pain." She whispered, turning on her side to regard the angel with misty sea foam eyes. "Grief. But I'm also afraid of the Devil." _

He was still upset that they had never finished their game. 

"He doesn't care what we do." Uriel growled. "I am proof of that." 

"But this?" Castiel questioned in retaliation. "What were you going to do, Uriel? Were you going to kill the entire garrison?" 

"I only killed the ones who said no. Others have joined me, Cas. Please brother.. Don't fight me. Help me. Help me spread the Word. Help me bring on the Apocalypse." Castiels face contorted between a mixture of confusion and deeply rooted guilt as he slowly tilted his chin upward to look directly into Uriels eyes. "All you have to do is be unafraid." 

_"You are aware that Lucifer was once an-" _

_Cleopatra held up her hand to silence his rambling. "I attended church from birth up until my father died. I still have a firm belief that God is out there watching over me.." Her voice broke apart as she swallowed the bitter taste threatening to rise in her throat. "And so are my brother and father. I know the stories, Castiel. Lucifer fell because he was prideful and thirsty for power that he couldn't have. I'm afraid of the Devil because he walks as a human.. He looks like one, and talks like one. I'm afraid of falling for his deceit. That if I ever do meet him one day, He will play a key part in turning me into the abomination I know I am." _

She had been right. Every moment from this point on, until the inevitable end of days, boiled down to his own choices. Join Uriel, or die at his hand? Kill the Nephilim... Or fall in love with her? 

_In the end, it's the choices we didn't take that we only come to regret later on. _

"For the first time in a long time.. I am." Castiel grunted as he shoved the heel of his hand into Uriels chest, the wall of bricks collapsing behind him as his body was forced through it. The sickening crack of bones against bone echoed around the empty room as the two angels fought against one another - until there was no sight but blood, and no sound but labored breathing. 

Castiel spat blood from his mouth and slammed his fist into Uriels jaw once again only to be completely sideswiped by a crowbar slamming into his skull, knocking the wind from his lungs and forcing him to his knees. "You can't _win _Uriel." He proclaimed, eyes cast upward to gaze into the darkened orbs of his brother. "I still serve God." 

"You haven't even met the man!" He exclaimed. "There is no will." 

_Punch. _

"No Wrath!" 

_Punch. _

_"_No God!" 

Castiel fell backwards as the sickening squelch of a blade entering a body emanated against his pounding skull, forcing the Seraph to cover his ears as he recognized the blurred form of Cleopatra who had driven her angel blade directly through Uriels throat. "Sorry sunshine." She growled, twisting the blade soaked in his blood through the center of his throat. "If there isn't a God.. Then there's still _me." _

A bright light shone through the abandoned warehouse until it morphed into an explosion - the death of an angel - before they were met with the sight of wings etched into the concrete and the shadows of nightfall. The Seraph and the Nephilim turned to gaze at one another, a silent thanks passed between their locked eyes, before Cleopatra gently lifted her hand to caress Castiels cheek. 

Warmth spread through his body as her grace healed his wounds. It was a different warmth then when he healed himself - The type of warmth that when it encompasses you, you never want to leave. It makes you feel safe, secured, unafraid.. It makes you feel as if you're _home. _

"C'mon angel." She whispered, her lips quirked upward in the ghost of a smile as she extended her hand, beneath her fingernails still caked in Uriels blood. "We have a Winchester to see." 

***

Hospital rooms always made her feel uncomfortable. The overwhelming smell of chloro-septic filling her nostrils. The soft, rhythmic echo of the heart monitor in the corner. The pale contrast of the white walls against the person occupying the hospital bed. 

Castiel stared at the older Winchester, quite dismayed by the sight of him as his fingers trembled at his sides. Dean had been battered and bruised quite significantly from his fight with Alistair, and given that he had no idea about Uriels involvement, it only further deepened his guilt.

Cleopatra felt her heart skip a beat whenever he fumbled for a hold on her hand before finally lacing their fingers together, never loosening his grip on them. She flashed him an encouraging smile before he trekked across the room to take his seat at the bedside. "Are you alright?" Castiel murmured. She opened her mouth to respond but was interrupted by the gravelly voice and stunning green eyes beside her. 

"No thanks to you." He muttered, wincing as Cleopatra sat on the small space left between Deans body and the mattress. She gazed over him with concerned blue-green orbs before gently coming to rest her hand on his forearm. 

"You need to be more careful." Castiel warned. 

"And you need to learn how to manage a Devils Trap-" 

"No." The Seraph replied pensively, his eyes falling on the small patterns that his mate, or future mate, was writing on the inside of Deans arm as her gaze remained focused on the wall. "That's not what I mean. Uriel is dead." Had Dean not been half sedated and drifting in and out of unconsciousness, Cleopatra would've given a silent cry of victory.. Had it not also been her first legitimate kill. 

And all to save Castiel. 

"Was it the demons?" Dean asked. His eyes followed the pale fingers tracing his skin to the veiled expression of a woman he'd only just recently come to admire, slowly lifting his hand to brush hair from her face and gaze at her eyes. He had seen that look a thousand times before on himself whenever he had made his first kill - not an angel or a demon - but his first kill _ever. _It had torn him apart to know that his own two hands were capable of taking a human life. 

"No. It was disobedience." Her eyes widened at Castiels false statement as the two of them turned to the angel. "He was working against us. Cleopatra was the one who ended it." 

Dean swallowed the bile rising in his throat and slowly swiveled his head, pain radiating through the upper half of his body as he gripped Cleopatras hand in his own. "Is-Is it true?" He asked timidly. "Did I break the first seal? Did I start the Apocalypse?" 

"Yes." Castiel replied. "When we discovered Lilliths plan for you, we laid siege to Hell. We fought to get to you before-" 

"I jump started the Apocalypse?" Dean muttered bitterly. Cleopatra lightly shook her head and brought her palm to rest against his cheek, turning his chin so the two of them were looking directly at one another. She had felt his guilt before - So similar to her own. _What if I had done something different? What if I had never given myself to a man who abused me? Who would I have become then? What if.. What if.. _

"Dean." She whispered. Castiel resisted the urge to lash out as he watched her thumb slowly brush the underside of his bottom lip. Most likely meant as a means of comfort, but it did nothing to staunch his growing jealousy. "There's no way you could have known. Believe me when I say this, despite the fact we're just getting to know each other again." She brought her other hand up to cup the opposite side of his face and slowly lowered her forehead until it was resting against his own. ''_This isn't on you." _

Castiels nostrils flared as he dug his fingernails into the center of his palms, oblivious to the wounds he'd inflicted as droplets of scarlet began to fall on the floor. He had clearly seen how Dean responded to her touch. Almost as if he craved affirmation from a woman who genuinely cared about him. 

"We were too late." Cas interjected. Cleopatra pried herself away from Dean and turned towards the Seraph, never faltering in her grip on his hand. 

"Why didn't you just leave me there then!?" 

"It's not blame that falls on you, Dean. It's _fate._" Cas' eyes rose to the ceiling as he relaxed into the fabric of the arm-chair. "The righteous man who begins it is the only one who can finish it." The Seraph gazed upon his acquaintance pensively as his cobalt eyes met those of the Nephilim. She was staring at him with such a craving for answers that it made him further reluctant to divulge them. "You have to stop it." 

"Lucifer? The Apocalypse?" Dean murmured plaintively. "What does that mean?" When Castiel made no move to answer, the muscles in his forearms grew rigid with anger as his eyes opened just a fraction wider, indicating his frustration. "Hey! Don't you go disappearing on me you son of a-" 

"_Dean-"_

"What does that mean!?"

"I don't know. I don't. Dean.. They don't tell me much. I know that our fate rests with you." 

Cleopatra stood to her feet and moved to the opposite side of the room, immediately noticing that Dean began to squirm as she moved further away from his hospital bed. She took that moment to truly study the man in front of her. A man born into a loving home who had been exposed to death far too soon, raised in war, and now a self deprecating soldier whos only intent in life was to put everyone else in front of himself. Dean Winchester was the epitome of self loathing, and she knew it. 

If her staying with the Winchesters meant that she could begin picking up pieces of his heart,

"_Well then you guys are all screwed, Cas. I can't do this Cas. It's.. It's too big." _

And learn how to love the ones who had taken the only home she had ever known,

"_Alistair was right. I'm not all here. I'm not strong enough." _

Then she would defy the odds. 

She would love a rebel. 

And she would finally learn to let go. 

"_I guess I'm not the man that either of our Dads wanted me to be." _


	14. Foretold By A Prophet Of The Lord

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chuck and Cleopatra meet. That's literally it. I don't have a decent summary for this one.

_"There are a-lot of trials and tribulations headed for you and Castiel." Chuck replied, his voice hollow as he spoke against the computer in front of him. "Alot of grief and guilt, but alot of happiness too." Cleopatra nervously wrung her hands in her lap as she waited for him to continue. _

_"Am I enough for these men?" She whispered. Chuck peered around the computer screen and slid his glasses back up his nose, his lips quirking upward in the ghost of a smile at her clumsy approach towards him. "Have you.. Am I good enough to fix the Winchesters? Do I protect them? Do I-" _

_Soon enough his hand came to rest over her own. "Cleopatra, you are surely more then enough for the Winchester boys. They've never known what unconditional love feels like, and that's something you exhibit quite strongly. You are good enough to heal the broken, to save the dying, and to guide the lost in being found." The crinkles around his eyes grew prominent as his smile widened. "You're the savior these boys and angel need." _

_***_

{4x18 - The Monster At The End Of This Book}

"Do you _want_ me to keep wearing your clothes?!" Cleopatra shouted as she hurled a pair of Deans sweatpants at the bathroom door. "Because if I do, I'm afraid I'm gonna start smelling like you, and that is _not _something I want!" Dean yelped as one of his boots came flying through the opened bathroom door, followed by a steady steam that had gathered during his shower. 

"Fine, you wanna act like a girl about it?" Dean retorted as he brushed past the Nephilim and beelined for his duffel bag. "Go take a trip home, see your mom, get some feminine clothes. God only knows that the sexual-" The elder Winchester gaped as his body was flung across the motel room only to be pinned to the wall, his emerald green eyes met with the piercing golds of the woman in front of him. 

"There is no such thing as_ sexual _tension between us, you imbecile." Dean swallowed nervously as Cleopatra inched closer to him and rotated her wrist before snapping downward to release him from her hold. Ever since Sam had pointed out the vicious golden eyes, he'd been intrigued to the point where he wanted to know who she was, or even what she was. But it was clear she wasn't keen on giving the answers to his questions. "Try not to do anything stupid while I'm gone. Listen to Sam, because he's the smart one-" 

"Hey!" 

"And please, for the love of God," Cleopatra glanced over her shoulder at the nearly empty motel room and the eldest Winchester son before flashing a smile at him. "Don't get yourself killed." 

***

The moment she set foot in Lawrence, Cleopatra was met with a strong urge for coffee and a new book. Or set of books. Maybe both. She straightened her spine and dusted off her clothes, gathering herself back together before trekking down main street towards the book shop. 

She was met with the fresh smell of pastries upon entering the small shop, the metal bell above the door echoing against the bookcases as she stared at their leather spines in awe. The owner of the shop. a frail older Irish woman named Anastasia O'Sullivan who had immigrated from Ireland upon meeting her deceased husband, had taken a liking to her upon the first time her father Josiah had brought her inside for the _"Percy Jackson and the Olympians" _series when she was in middle school. 

What caught her attention over all the new literature around her was the familiar head of black hair and the swooping tan trench coat that stood on the wall parallel to the register, nimble fingers wrapped around the cover of a unfamiliar paperback. Cleopatra snuck through the aisles furthest away from Castiel, her boots lightly tucking into the ragged burgundy carpet as she peered around the corner, ducking her head when his eyes snapped over to meet her own. 

"Oi, Cleo! What're you doin' hiding from the handsome man?!" Anastasia snapped, lightly smacking the small of her back and propelling her to an alertness she had not felt since the last time she and the angel had encountered one another. While it had not been a long period of time since Dean had been out of the hospital, somehow Castiel still managed to make her anxious in the most preposterous way. "Castiel, this is-"

"Dear Ana, I did tell you I was waiting for a pretty woman, didn't I?" Castiel tutted, turning the paperback towards Cleopatra. Her eyes narrowed in on the cover. What was in Castiels hand appeared to be a erotic novel titled **_Supernatural: Something Wicked _**by Carver Edlund, and the reason why he'd been leaning so awkwardly against the shelf was because it wasn't just an individual book. 

It was a part of an entire series. 

Anastasia lightly nudged her hip and leaned upward to whisper in her ear. "I can tell this one is already a keeper." She whispered before winking at Castiel and disappearing into the room behind the register that lead to the second floor of the building, hidden away by a white curtain. 

"Cas, what are you doing here?" 

Castiel swallowed and shifted uncomfortably as he set down the book. "I heard about the books and wanted to see them for myself. Tell me these don't look familiar to you." Her fingers brushed against his own as she took the book from his hands, turning it over to read the synopsis on the back. 

"These books are about Sam and Dean?" She inquired, almost as if she were amused by the aspect of the Winchester brothers having an entire series written about their tragic lives. "While part of that is absolutely hilarious to me, it also makes zero sense. How could this.. _Carver Edlund.. _write an entire series about two people he's never met?" 

"The man who wrote these is actually named Chuck Shurley, and while Dean and Sam do not know this yet, I feel obligated to inform you." Castiel replied softly, his hand coming to rest on the curve of her jaw as his fingers brushed a stray hair behind her ear. "He is a Prophet of the Lord." 

***

"So, let me see if I'm following." Cleopatra began, dipping a finger in her coffee as Castiel leaned into the chair across from her. After nearly imploding inside of the bookstore, the Nephilim had thought it best to lead her angel to the cafe by her house to get the entire story on Prophets. "Chuck Shurley, who is a Prophet, is protected by an Archangel. He's been having visions of Dean and Sam since he became one which is how he knows every minuscule detail about their lives. And judging by the look on your pretty pale face-" Cobalt blue eyes flickered up to meet her own as she flashed him a grin. "You still haven't told them any of this yet." 

"Well, if I'm correct, they're on their way to speak to Mr. Shurley right now. I'm sure they know how to handle it." Castiel absentmindedly traced circles on the surface of the table as Cleopatra sipped at her coffee. "Truth be told, there is a reason why I came to Lawrence to find the books. I could have gone to any bookstore in the United States-''

The Seraph froze as warm fingers grazed his own, and he lifted his eyes to find himself staring into the soul of the most beautiful creature his Father had created. While Sam Winchester had a soul made of pure obsidian and reeking of evil, Cleopatra's soul was heavenly. Bright. _Pure. _

"Why did you come find me, Cas?" 

Castiel slowly exhaled, his lips falling into an o as Cleopatra loosely linked their fingers together. Before he had taken Jimmy as his vessel, he'd been careful to watch the interactions between two married humans. Jimmy had been devoted to Amelia Novak. He loved her and never hesitated to tell it to her. And now here he stood, mere months into his time spent with humanity, and Castiel was unsure of whether or not to classify the way his body was reacting in Cleopatras proximity as the beginning of himself falling in love with her. 

"I missed you." He confessed in the softest of whispers. The smile that lit up her entire face did not go amiss as Cleopatra lightly squeezed his hand before lifting their linked fingers to her lips, uncurling each of his digits to press a kiss to the rough pads of his calloused fingers. Her eyes never left his own until she had finished, pressing a feather light kiss upon his palm before she moved to pull out her money for the coffee she'd drank. 

"I missed you too. I missed the way you make me feel." Cleopatra replied. "You are the only person to ever give me a reason for living, Castiel. I don't want that feeling to leave. But the angels.." Her voice broke off as she was hit with a sinking realization. "Angels aren't supposed to love humans. It's forbidden." 

"Angels also aren't supposed to have soulmates, Cleopatra-" She held up a single finger and pressed it to the corner of his mouth, reluctant to press it against his lips for fear that he would recoil. His cobalt eyes softened as she leaned forward and brushed her lips against his cheek. 

"Please... call me Cleo." 

***

_This part is near the end of the episode right before Cas comes in, and after Deans car accident. Cleopatra arrives to the house first. _

She arrived to his house before Chuck did, taking a seat in the corner arm chair with her fingers wrapped loosely around a bottle of water she'd found at the back of the fridge. After her conversation with Castiel, she'd wanted to get Chuck alone in hopes that he'd have some answers to her questions about their future. It wasn't much later when the front door opened, revealing a man with wild brown hair and icy blue eyes; He was dressed in a grey sweatshirt and faded jeans, multiple bottles of hard alcohol tucked into his arms. 

"_Woah!_" He exclaimed, jumping several feet in the air at the sight of the woman in his house. "Where-How-Wait.." A small smile tugged at her lips as Chuck tilted his head, struggling to identify where he'd seen her. "I know you. You're in the later books after Dean gets out of Hell, same time Castiel shows up." His eyes lit up in amazement. "You're Cleopatra Carter. The Nephilim." 

"Hello Chuck. It's nice to meet you." She replied softly. "I'm not here as an enemy. I'm here as a friend." Chuck glanced between where she sat in the arm chair which had been positioned perfectly in front of his computer before he took his place at the swivel chair. "Did you ever write me into the books?" 

Chuck nodded slowly as he poised his fingers above the keys. The chapter he'd been working on prior to the arrival of Sam and Dean was one that took place in the near future, where Castiel was expelled from his vessel and sent back to Heaven for punishment - Punishment over falling in love with Heavens Most Wanted Abomination. He'd seen how far she'd fallen for the angel and all she would sacrifice for him. 

He didn't have the heart to tell her that they'd be the end of each other. 

"I did, especially when Castiel becomes an important part of Dean and Sams story. There are alot of trials and tribulations headed for you and Castiel." Chuck replied, his voice hollow as he spoke against the computer in front of him. "Alot of grief and guilt, but alot of happiness too." Cleopatra nervously wrung her hands in her lap as she waited for him to continue. 

"Am I enough for these men?" She whispered. Chuck peered around the computer screen and slid his glasses back up his nose, his lips quirking upward in the ghost of a smile at her clumsy approach towards him. "Have you.. Am I good enough to fix the Winchesters? Do I protect them? Do I-" 

Soon enough, his hand came to rest over her own. "Cleopatra, you are surely more then enough for the Winchester boys. They've never known what unconditional love feels like, and that's something you exhibit quite strongly. You are good enough to heal the broken, to save the dying, and to guide the lost in being found." The crinkles around his eyes grew prominent as his smile widened. "You're the savior these boys and angel need."

Before she could even begin to form a coherent response, their conversation was halted by Dean crashing in through the front door. His leather jacket was torn in several places, bruises blossoming against the sharp features of his face as he glared at Chuck from across the room. He looked worse for wear, and by the anger flashing in his eyes, he had a bone to pick with him.

"Dean?" Cleopatra called out. "You look like crap, man. What happened?" 

"Why don't you ask your Prophet friend over there?" Dean snapped. "He knew all this was gonna happen anyway! Did-" His emerald irises narrowed on the Nephilim as he drew closer to her, taking notice of the way her breathing hitched whenever he was angry. "Did he write you into the books too?" 

"_Yes." _

The older Winchesters nostrils flared as he pushed past Cleopatra to stand directly in front of Chuck. "Why do I get the feeling that there's something you aren't telling us?! I want to know how you know what you do! I deserve to know how some random dude gets privileges to my crappy life story!" 

"Dean-" Cleopatra warned, wrapping her fingers around his bicep. Her mind flashed back to her earlier conversation with Castiel, and without thinking she found herself uttering a prayer beneath her breath to bring the Seraph to her aid. "Listen to me Dean-" 

"Dean, let him _go._" All three figures turned around to greet the commanding baritone that echoed through the room and found themselves staring at Cas. Once again, his expression was completely stoic. There was absolutely zero indication that the angel who'd confessed he missed her presence, shivered under her touch, and pierced her soul with his cobalt eyes was even there to begin with. "This man is to be protected." 

_There are many trials headed for you and Castiel. _

"Why?" 

"He's a Prophet of the Lord." 

***

Castiel slowly outstretched his fingers to wrap around Cleopatras wrist, hesitantly pulling her in his direction as Chuck gazed upon the two of them in astonishment. "No wonder she talks so highly of you. I must not have your story together yet." He murmured. "You're Castiel, she's Cleopatra. The Seraph with Heavens Most Wanted Abomination. _Awesome-"_

"It's nice to meet you, Chuck." Castiel said in greeting. "And yes, you are correct. She is the last living Nephilim. On the other hand.." His eyes softened as he picked up a stray copy of **_Scarecrow _**lying on the side table. "I admire your work." Cleopatra leaned into his shoulder and remained wary of touching him in front of Dean, her eyes focused on the disbelief flashing across the eldest Winchesters face. 

"Woah- Are you kidding me? This guy.. He's a _Prophet? _C'mon, he's practically a pinhouse forum writer!" He peered around Cas' shoulder and glowered at Chuck, who was now sitting in the armchair with a can of beer in his hand. "Did you know about this?" 

"I-I might've, uh.. Dreamt about it." 

Cleopatra snorted as Deans nostrils flared. "You get way too worked up over nothing, Deano." She mused. "Okay, so he's a Prophet. I'm a Nephilim, and Castiel is an angel. Why does anything surprise you anymore?" Her heart skipped a beat as a reoccurring thought came to her mind: She had yet to tell him and Sam that the two of them were _soulmates. _"Cas and I are-" 

"Also in the book with me!!" Chuck interjected. It was clear that the Prophet had absolutely zero intentions of allowing her to confess her secret. "I didn't tell you because it was preposterous and absolutely arrogant! Writing yourself into the story is one thing, but as a Prophet? That's M. Knight level douchiness!" 

"This.. This is the guy who decides our fate?" Dean said angrily, nudging Castiel in the ribs to draw his attention away from the book. The angel only found himself glancing up when he felt Cleopatras presence draw closer to him. 

"He isn't deciding anything. He's merely a mouthpiece. A conduit for the inspired word." 

"The Word?" Cleopatra replied. "Like.. the word of God?" 

The Seraph smiled. "You'd think that's what they meant, but it's in fact quite the opposite. One day, these books will be known as the Winchester Gospel.. with a few side characters, of course." Cleopatra pursed her lips as she focused on the rhythmic bouncing of Chucks leg, followed by the anxious flickering of his eyes that could not seem to find an anchor. It had become clear to her in her short time with the Prophet that they had completely turned his world upside down. 

After a moment, she was pulled out of her stupor when Dean decided to roughly shake her shoulders. "Hey, no zoning out here Cleo!" He exclaimed. "We- I need you to be present, okay? I wanna know how this guy became a Prophet. Do either of you have any idea?" 

"I can tell you that I don't know how Prophets are chosen. The order comes from high up on the chain of celestial command."

"How high?" 

"_Very."_

It was in moments like these that she wished Gabriel was still around. Unfortunately, she hadn't set eyes on her Uncle since the day of her fathers death, and she would've been surprised to ever see him again. He was probably dead by now, or partying his life away in Heaven. 

"Okay.. never mind then. How do we get around this?" 

It was her turn to be confused. "Around.. what, exactly?" 

Dean stomped his foot against the ground irritably. "Catch up! The Sam and Lillith love connection! How do we stop it?" Cas' eyes cast towards the ceiling before he slowly exhaled through his nose, his gaze flickering back to acknowledge a clearly desperate Dean. 

"What the Prophet has written cannot be unwritten." He replied. "As he has seen it, so it shall come to pass." 

Cleopatra felt her entire body stiffen at his words as Dean stormed out of the house, beelining for the Impala before he peeled out of the driveway and down the street. Chuck had been very clear in what was coming for her story - for _their _story - A lifetime of pain, and loss, and guilt, and absolute bloodshed. 

_There are many trials coming for you and Castiel. _

Her chest slowly constricted until it felt like she was carrying the weight of the Universe on her chest. Her fingers fumbled for a solid grip as they trembled, her breathing coming in quick, uneven gasps as she sank to her knees. "Hey." Castiel urged as he too sank to his knees, pulling his bottom lip between his teeth. "This fear you feel over our future is a lie, Cleopatra." He took two fingers and angled them beneath her chin. "Look at me." 

The moment she did, it felt as if everything she'd ever feared in her life, from loneliness to grief to anger to pain.. melted away just by gazing into his eyes. Eyes that had once belonged to a human that now held a million untold stories that had begun with Creation. 

"Cas-I-" She rasped as her fingers wound through her thick, raven curls. "I have lost _so _much already. I can't fall in love with you while I know that so much crap is coming down the road that's inevitably going to break us apart. I-I cannot take another funeral." Cleopatra felt tears prick the corners of her eyes as she lifted them to meet the Seraphs concerned expression. "Stay with me. Don't flee because of Heavens orders.. Don't hesitate in how you feel." Cleopatra gripped his hand and rested it over her heart. "This? It only beats for you." She leaned forward and tenderly wrapped her arms around his neck, standing on her tiptoes to press herself into the curve of his body. "Please Castiel.. Stay with me." 

His lips quirked upward in a smile as he hid his face in the crook of her shoulder. Had it been a year previously whenever he'd taken over Jimmy Novak as a vessel, Castiel would have never anticipated the first genuine friend he made would be the woman he was going to fall in love with. "Always." 

His greatest sin in the eyes of Heaven was always going to be falling in love with a Nephilim. That was his problem. He loved her, loved _humanity, _too deeply. 

_Please.. I need help._

She immediately pulled away and frowned upon hearing the voice in her head. It had been known for Nephilim to be able to hear prayers.. but she hadn't ever anticipated being able to hear Deans. 

_ Do you hear me? I'm praying here. C'mon. Please.. _

In the blink of an eye, Castiel found himself still wrapped in Cleopatras embrace, but instead standing outside of the same motel that Dean and Sam had checked into earlier that day. His jaw dropped when he felt the gentle caress of beautiful white feathers brush against his cheeks before Cleopatra pried herself away from his warmth, managing a grin despite the tear stains on her cheeks.

"Dean?" She called out softly, stopping in her tracks when Dean whipped around to face her and Cas. "Prayer is a sign of faith, hon. This is a good thing."

"So does that mean you'll help me?" He pleaded. "_Either _of you? You're both angels, for gods-" Dean stopped when both angels eyes narrowed instantly, sending shivers down his spine at the power that radiated from both of them. "Please. I'm asking, I'm _begging_-" 

Cleopatra turned to Castiel and stuck her hands deep into her pockets, the two of them exchanging a questioning glance as to whether or not she could actually drag Sam from the motel with her powers. Nephilim were not only strong willed - But they were fierce, stubborn, lethal, and powerful. She could kill Lillith with the snap of her fingers. On the other hand, it wouldn't be long before the boys figured out what she really was. 

"This is a Prophecy, I- We cannot interfere. We already have our own Prophecy set in motion.. Like I said, once it is written, so it shall be." 

''You-" Dean jabbed a finger at Cas. "You have tested and pulled me every which way, and I have never asked for _anything. _But now I'm asking, I need your help. Both of you." His eyes flickered down to the dark haired woman. "You want to prove how much you care about Sam and I? This is it. Prove it to me by helping me save my baby brother, Cleo." 

"What you're asking, Dean.. It's not within my power to do." 

"Why?!" He exclaimed. "Because it's divine Prophecy?!" 

"_YES!" _

"So I'm just supposed to sit around and wait for it to happen?" Dean snapped back. When Cas didn't answer, his expression hardened until nothing was visible but a calm, methodical rage. "Screw you. Both of you. _Especially _you, Cleopatra. And here I was thinking you might actually have begun to give a dam-" 

The tension in the air grew when Dean was thrown backwards and slammed into the door of the Impala, pinned to the car by an invisible force wrapped around his torso. When he finally gathered the strength to lift his chin, he was met with the same pair of angered golden eyes that only appeared when things became difficult. "Don't you dare act like you get to dictate who I care about, Dean!" Cleopatra growled. "You may have lost your mother, but did you lose Sam? Have you ever physically _felt _the pain your brother was in when he died the first time? No? Because I did. It's called the Nephilim's Heart, you see." 

"Nephilim?" He questioned. "What is a Nephilim?" Despite his experience in modern and historical lore, Dean had never once come across any of children between angels and humans. He'd been told it was strictly forbidden.

"A Nephilim is the child of an angel and a human. One Nephilim is enough to tear the world apart, but _two? _Holy crap, they can break the entire freakin' Universe if they're having a bad day!" She exclaimed. "So, what do you do when two children are given more power then they know what to do with? You kill one of them, evens out the playing field. And if you _really _want to screw over the last living Nephilim, who has practically given up any chance of a life by hunting and living under a false pretense of a normal life, send her a soulmate that also happens to be an angel!" 

Dean felt ice pinch the blood coursing through his veins. His eyes flickered in between a silent Castiel and fuming Cleopatra, who recoiled when she finally felt his gaze settle on her. "Wait a minute. Did you.. Did you say soulmate?" He pressed. "Like.. You two? Child of an angel, and an angel, were put together as soulmates?" 

Cleopatra swallowed the bile in her throat. "Do you want to keep going?" She muttered darkly. "I can throw you across the parking lot, bucko. Keep riling me up. See what happens." Deans eyes darkened as he set his jaw, the muscle twitching beneath his skin as he clenched his fists at his sides. 

"Screw you. _Both _of you. No wonder Cas hasn't got a pair, it's because his woman makes all the tough decisions for him. So let me send you off, if you still plan on leaving, by saying this again. Screw you, your mission, your _God." _He spoke mockingly. "If you two don't help me now, then when the time comes and you need me, don't bother asking." 

Castiel remained stoic until Dean moved further down the parking lot. Cleopatra pursed her lips and lightly pulled on his trench coat, tugging him down to her level. The Seraph softened under her touch as her lips remained only mere centimeters away from his ear. 

"_Tell him." _

Honesty was the most important policy in the type of relationship she was building with Dean from the ground up. If the Winchesters were going to unconditionally put their trust in her, she needed to show them that she was worth trusting in. "Dean, you need to understand why I can't interfere." Castiel called out. "Prophets are very special. They're protected-"

"I get that!" 

Cleopatra held her hand up. "Dean, trust me when I say this." She said softly. "Take a breath and listen to him." 

"If anything happens to a Prophet, _anything at all_," Castiel repeated slowly, taking his time with trying to convey his point but without revealing the bigger picture behind it. If he directly interfered between the Archangels and Chuck, it was his head on the line and he wasn't willing to risk himself in such a manner. "An Archangel will appear to destroy that threat. Archangels are fierce." 

_Gabriel grinned at the little girl who sprinted towards him from the back porch of the cottage house. He'd swore up and down that Cleopatra would be terrified of his six wings that expanded across the yard, but she made no effort to show her fear. She was more concerned about Uncle Gabe. _

_"_They're Heaven's most terrifying weapon." 

_How could the same man who cradled her from birth be the one to put her brother and father to rest? _

_Gabriel was not cruel. He wasn't emotional, but based on what she'd seen today.. He most certainly was a coward. Cleopatra watched through the haze of rainfall as the Archangels, Michael and Gabriel, took one last look at her and Alexandria before disappearing entirely. _

_Not even so much as a goodbye. _

Her heart lifted as Deans eyes narrowed, a signature move he did when the gears inside his head began to turn. "And these Archangels, they're tied to Prophets?" He asked. 

"Yes." 

"So if a Prophet is in the same room.. as a Demon?"

Cleopatra grinned as she wrapped her hands around her hips and rocked on the heels of her feet. "Then the most fearsome wrath of Heaven would rain down on that demon, and they're basically toast." She replied proudly. "Just so you understand why _we _can't help." 

Dean jabbed a thumb at the Nephilim. "And why can't you help? What does being a Nephilim have to do with saving Sam's skin?" He questioned firmly. "Now him, I get. Being Heavens baby angel and all.. but why _you?_" 

Cleopatra inhaled deeply and lifted her chin to gaze at Dean, oblivious to the slight quivering of her lip as the elder Winchester expectantly waited her answer. "Story for another time, I'm afraid." She remarked, shooing him away from the pair. "Go on then, go save your baby brother. We'll be here whenever you get back." 

Silence enveloped them as Dean peeled out of the parking lot in the Impala, leaving the two of them alone for the first time since the bookstore. Cleopatra slowly turned towards Castiel and managed a small smile at the Angel, who couldn't help but blush at how intently she was gazing at him. "You're staring at me again." 

"I can't help that I _really _want to kiss you, Castiel." She whispered for fear that someone else would hear her. Cas' eyes widened as Cleopatra lightly grasped her hand in his own and pressed a kiss to the inside of his wrist. "I can't be near the Archangels, Cas. There was a point where they terrified me, but now I just want to exact vengeance upon them. I have since my Uncle Gabriel buried my father in the ground and never spoke to me again." 

Castiel swallowed as he considered uttering the sentence that had been rolling through his mind since the entire situation had come to pass. He didn't want her anywhere near this. He didn't want her anywhere near _Heaven. _

_I will never let another living soul harm you._

"You are the only thing in my life that I have ever wanted to protect, Cleo." Castiel said softly, outstretching his arms to take her hands in his. "If I could convince you to stay away from the Apocalypse, I would. I know you're more stubborn then to just listen to me. If I had to devote myself to protecting one human, protecting _you_, there is nothing else I'd rather do."

And so they stood there in silence once again, contemplative and afraid - Fearful of what was coming, fearful of what Heaven would do upon finding out that their soldier had fallen out of rank and into the arms of their most hated abomination. But nevertheless.. 

It still made Castiel smile.


	15. Gone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's one thing to be sure of: Jimmy Novak is not her soulmate.

_Jimmy Novak is not my soulmate. _

_Jimmy Novak is not my_ _soulmate. _

_Jimmy Novak is not my soulmate. _

[Set before and during 4x20] 

[**Song - Little Lion Man]**

\-----------------------------------

_ After the initial altercation between Dean and Lillith, they soon found themselves on the steps of her home and entered quietly only to be greeted by the mewling of Azrael from where he rested in the corner. Based on the lack of food in the container and gratuitous amount of water, Cleopatra assumed her mother had been to the house on a number of occasions to keep her friend alive. "I have a question for you." Castiel called out as he shed his coat over the back of her couch, further removing his dress shoes and tucking them beneath the couch as well. "To continue our game of Twenty Questions." _

_"Shoot." _

_Her heart skipped several beats as she inserted a K Cup into her Keurig, hoping that this next cup of coffee would be the one to keep her awake for the duration of the night. But the moment she gazed upon the half clothed Seraph in her living room, she knew sleep wasn't coming for her to begin with. _

_Seeing him without the trench coat was almost as if he was missing a piece of himself. _

_"What is your biggest fear?" _

Looking back on it now, she should have just lied to him. Told him that her biggest fear had already come true when Reagan and her father had both died. But despite the lack of time spent with Castiel, a new fear of hers had quickly come to light. One she had hoped would never surface. 

_Feet gently padded against the carpet of the living room as she now stood directly in front of Castiel, heart pounding in her chest as he stared intently at her. Every single time their eyes met, she was sure he was gazing directly into her soul and begging for it to flow from her - connecting his grace and the very center of her being as one._

_"You want to know what my deepest fear is, Cas?" She whispered, voice husky as her fingers curved around the frame of his jaw, lips just inches from his own as Cleopatra rose to her tiptoes to sink into the curve of his body. The audible, nervous gulp that emitted from him did not go unnoticed as he wrapped his arm around her waist. "My deepest fear is losing you." _

Cleopatra should've known it would happen. With the luck she had, it was almost inevitable that Castiel was bound to be ripped from her grasps in a moments notice, to never return to the solace of his soulmates arms. She hated herself for admitting it - but she was falling in love with him. 

It was a number of days before she heard from him again. After accompanying the Winchester brothers on their hunt for their supposed half brother Adam (Believe me, he's a story for another time) Cleopatra had returned home and immediately set to restocking in clothes that were suitable for hunting. Packing at least two duffel bags worth for an emergency, she had gone from simply locking her doors at night to sleeping with a gun under her pillow, a can of salt neatly sitting on top of the exorcism spell on her desk. 

A week passed before she saw him in her dreams - and then woke to a desperate voicemail from Dean. 

_Castiel frowned when he found himself hidden away in the confines of the storage shed; A hand-made building formed by oak and cherry wood from the surrounding forest that Josiah had taken nearly a year to build, finally deciding to frame the foundation in the corner of the yard to allow his children room to run. _

_His sharp eyes gazed over the tools that were neatly organized along the walls before they settled on the familiar form of the Nephilim, smiling sadly as she gazed at what was occurring beyond the window. "I was hoping you'd never find me here." She whispered, motioning him towards her with her fingers. "C'mere Cas." Castiel tiptoed across the creaking boards and leaned into her back, inhaling the familiar scent of books and lavender that so often accompanied her presence. "This was it. The last summer before they died." _

_"I figured." He replied softly, curling his fingers around her shoulder and squeezing softly. He knew how much it pained her to relive the few precious memories she did have of her family - and had it not been for such dire circumstances - he would've never invaded it to begin with. "I would not have come if I didn't need your help." _

_Concern filled her features as Cleopatra turned around to regard the angel. "What's going on?" _

_"When you wake up, you're going to get a call from Dean. It's going to shake you, Cleo. I need you to be prepared for it." Her eyes nervously flickered to the deep gold he'd grown to love, and Castiel found himself pulling her to him and tentatively brushing his lips against the crown of her forehead. "Don't be afraid, Sunflower. Wait for me." _

She woke up in a cold sweat to the familiar tune of _Simple Man _by Lynyrd Skynyrd - a tune she'd only come to hear through the music collection inside the Impala. Cleopatra rushed to turn off her alarm and flipped through the main screen of her IPhone until she came upon her voicemail, clicking on the one she'd received from Dean less than an hour ago. 

**Deano: Hey C, it's me. I know we haven't talked since you blurted out that whole soulmate business between you and Cas, but this is urgent and I wouldn't be calling if it wasn't. We.. We found Cas' vessel. Dude named Jimmy Novak who's hellbent on seeing you again before he goes back to his family in Illinois. Sent you the address of where we currently are - Get here fast, darling. He needs you. **

Cleopatra tilted her head towards her ceiling as a fresh wave of tears blurred her vision, her lips quivering as she struggled to keep her guttural sob silent. Her hands flew to her mouth as she curled into the fetal position on her bed, unable to contain herself any longer as tears stained her pillowcase. 

Castiel had warned her about this the last time she had seen him. She had never seen such a look of panic on his face until that night - the one where the two of them had been bathed in the shadow of her living room - when they had taken their game of Twenty Questions to a level she had not been anticipating. By the time dawn arrived, she knew nearly everything about him. His fears, his regrets, his childhood, his sins, his successes, his family. 

Heaven hated her. That much she knew. But why they were so angry with an angel for attaching himself to what the lore claimed was his _soulmate, _she still had yet to understand. All Castiel had done his entire life was take orders from On High, and not killing her had been the first one he had ever gone back on. 

"_I had gone all this time believing I would be making Heaven proud by killing you, and the moment I saw you watching those children in the park.." His voice broke off as she played with his fingers where they rested on top of the couch. "I knew how grave of a mistake I had been about to make by killing you. It is only now in this time we are together that I fear they will punish me for wholly committing myself to you."_

He was... He was so _good. _His heart was bigger then his entire body. His compassion far outweighed anything else, and all he wanted to do was the mission he had been given from creation: Protect the humans that reside upon the Earth. And now Castiel was probably somewhere in Heaven being punished for making his own choices, for falling in love with the only Nephilim kept alive because he loved her - **_loved humanity _**\- far too deeply. 

"Don't be afraid_, _Sunflower_." _Cleopatra whispered as she met her reflection in the mirror. She didn't see a haggard woman weary to face the world head on. She saw a goddess - One who defied the odds and never took no for an answer, who fought for the ones she loved and what she believed in. "_Wait for me."_

She saw the strength that her father had always seen in her. 

After a quick shower to freshen herself up, Cleopatra dressed in the outfit she had set out the night before and took one last look in the mirror as she tightly gripped the straps of her duffel bags. 

"I'm coming to save you, Castiel." 

***

_"What do you remember?" _

Jimmy Novak gazed at the two strangers who sat on either side of the dingy motel room table, his meal of fast food long discarded as his eyes anchored to the floor. "My name is Jimmy Novak. I'm from Pontiac, Illinois. I have a family-" His sentence cut off as his blue eyes that so closely mirrored Castiels widened. "I'm supposed to tell her." 

"Woah-" Sam interjected. "Tell who what?" 

He pulled the flesh of his lip in between his teeth as his mind sparked one memory he had not realized was tucked away in the corner of his mind. He saw himself sitting in the living room of a house he didn't recognize - the remains of breakfast discarded on the coffee table as the TV played reruns of FRIENDS. On the couch sat Castiel with his arms loosely tucked around the frame of a female; She had dark hair that veiled most of her face from his sight, her head tucked beneath his chin as she slept soundly against his chest. Their fingers were loosely interlocked in the dim light that shone through the front windows, the first sight of dawn breaking over the horizon.

If Jimmy remembered anything about his time as the vessel of an angel, it was that. He remembered every ache of Castiels soul when the two of them fought to be together. He remembered the confusion, the utter joy in his heart when she had held his hand for the first time. The security he felt when they locked eyes from across the room. 

Realization clouded over his eyes as Jimmy finally turned to look directly at the man called Dean. "I'm supposed to tell Cleopatra how much Castiel cares for her." 

***

When she finally arrived to the Motel, Cleopatra found Dean and Sam hovering on the opposite side of the Impala where they could keep an eye on the silhouette moving around inside their motel room. "Well, if it isn't Sammy and Deano." She mused, grinning as the younger Winchester opened his arms and allowed her to jump into them. "Oh man did I miss you. You smell fantastic!" 

Sam winked as he set her on the ground. "Cologne and motel shampoo will do that for you." Cleopatra turned around and faced Dean, eyes lighting up at the sight of the older brother as she leaned in and brushed her lips against his cheek. A dark red blush spread across the apples of his cheeks as Dean pulled her to his chest and embraced her tightly, if only for a moment. "Thanks for coming, Cleo. We know this can't be easy for you." 

Her smile fell when she remembered that it wasn't Cas inside of that room. It was his vessel, whos name she had only come to know through Dean's voicemail. **_Jimmy Novak. _**"Am I correct in assuming that you two are trying to figure out what to do with him?" She asked. The two boys nodded as her eyes fell back on the window where Jimmy now stood, piercing cobalt eyes flickering through the darkness for their forms. "Won't the demons come after him if he goes home to Illinois? He's a vessel. They'll think he has answers-" 

Sam smacked Deans arm in retaliation. "I _told _you!" He exclaimed. "Maybe he doesn't even know what he knows! I say we get somewhere safe and we let Cleopatra break into his memories, see if anything is being suppressed!" Her face drained of color at the thought of breaking into the memories of a man who was no more then a stranger, a husband who yearned to return to the life he'd been living before an angel had taken his body captive.

"No." She snapped. "I will not break into his memories. I don’t do that unless absolutely necessary because it’s an invasion of privacy. Not to mention all it's going to do is remind me that Cas isn't in there anymore, and that I failed to protect my soulmate from his inevitable punishment. As far as I'm concerned.. I'm only here to ensure that he doesn't die. That's it." Dean frowned as her eyes flickered to their lethal, tawny gold as she heaved a sigh of defeat. "Jimmy Novak is not my soulmate." 

"Okay, so regardless of that fact, we can't just let him skip out!" Sam interjected. "What we saw when we found his body, that was angel on angel violence. Looked like a freaking nuclear bomb went off in there, and whatever happened.. It was big. we can't just let the only lead we got skip out!" 

Dean shook his head vigorously. 

"We're pals now, Winchester." Cleopatra muttered as she nudged him in the hip. "Spill." 

"What happened to when we used to help people?" Dean asked. "Like getting them back to their families?" 

"You don't think that I don't want to help him? I'm just being realistic here! We're doing him a favor, especially by calling in someone like Cleopatra. She's more capable of taking out a group of demons with her pinky finger then with the two of us combined and accompanied by angel blades. If we want to question this guy.." All three heads turned towards the dimmed motel window, and Cleopatra shuddered as the wind nipped at her bare skin. "You can bet the demons do too." 

She shoved her hands into her pockets and pulled her bottom lip between her teeth. "He's not gonna be thrilled about this." Cleopatra said. "I'm a familiar face. He's bound to have seen me before. Let me talk to him." The Winchesters nodded as Cleopatra lead the way back into the motel room, wrapping her fingers around the doorknob and pushing her way inside. "Jimmy?" 

Jimmy Novak felt his heart skip several beats at the achingly _familiar _voice, his soul pulling him in the direction of the security it held when he turned around and came face to face with Cleopatra Carter. "Cleopatra-" He breathed in awe, eyes gazing up and down her body. "You are a sight for sore eyes." 

She snorted indignantly at his remark. "You don't even know me." She retorted. 

"I know you alot better then you think. Just because I had an angel controlling my every movement doesn't mean I didn't see what he saw." Jimmy stood to his feet and took a step closer to her but froze in his tracks when he noticed how she recoiled in his presence. "Or how I felt what he felt." 

"Jimmy, I hate to be the bad cop here.. But I'm not letting you go home." His eyes widened when her own flickered to a deep gold, a color he had not known was possible for human eyes. "And neither will they." 

"What the- What do you mean I can't go home?!" Jimmy exclaimed. 

"You're a likely candidate to have a bullseye on your back from the demons that have been pursuing you." Dean replied. "Regardless of the fact that you don't know anything, you were a vessel. They're gonna want you bad." 

"Look, I'm gonna make myself very clear here, okay? I'm done." Jimmy stated firmly. "With demons, angels, all of it. I just want to go _home. _I've been shot and stabbed and healed with my body being drug all over the Earth, and by some miracle.. I'm out? And I am done." His eyes flickered between the brothers and the silent woman between them before he spoke again. "I've given enough-" 

To say that Dean and Sam were stunned when a hand flew out of nowhere and struck Jimmy Novak across the fact would've been an understatement. The brothers had not been privileged enough to see what happened when Cleopatra was provoked, but it was clear that being around Castiel's vessel was more painful for her then she let on. 

"You-You think _you've _given enough?" She snarled weakly as tears pooled in her eyes. "I have lost my brother, my father and my _soulmate-" _Her voice threatened to break as she dared to look into the eyes that so closely mirrored Castiels. "The man I am growing to respect, to admire, and to adore is _dead. _Now am I just looking at the husk of who he was. Don't tell me you've given enough when I have lost _everything _I love." 

She slammed the door before any of the men could respond. 

***

** _3 AM - Before Dean went to sleep_ **

_Weep for yourself my man _

_You'll never be what is in your heart _

The liquid burn that numbed her aching heart was a welcomed friend as Cleopatra lounged on the hood of the Impala. Sitting out here in the comfort of the dark was much better for her then having to face Castiel's vessel, who was adamant on trekking back to Pontiac to be reunited with his family. 

That was the worst part she had to come to terms with. She wasn't Jimmys soulmate, and as long as he was still breathing, she was never going to be _his. _She was Castiels. Plain and simple. 

_Weep little lion man _

_You're not as brave as you were at the start _

His cobalt blue eyes were pitiful as they gazed upon her from inside the motel room. It was clear that he had bared witness to Castiel's demise; softened by falling in love with Heavens Most Wanted Nephilim. "I wouldn't do that if I were you." Dean called out, completely enthralled by the work of the Magic Fingers that had been loosening his taut muscles for the past twenty five minutes. "She really doesn't want anything to do with you." 

_Rate yourself and rake yourself_

_Take all the courage you have left _

"The feelings that Castiel harbored for that woman is not one sided." Jimmy murmured. Sam, now with his interest piqued, peered over the lid of his laptop in curiosity. "I watched him fall in love with her. While I am a married man devoted to his wife.. I have grown to care deeply about her well being." 

"Good luck speaking to her man. You're wearing her soulmates face." Dean replied casually. Jimmy sighed softly as he retreated to the bed parallel to Deans and burrowed beneath the blankets, hoping to wake up in a few hours and have all of this conflict disappear. 

** _4:45 AM_ **

When he woke, Cleopatra was still leaning against the windshield of the car. This time her bottle was long discarded and she was softly singing to herself as she swayed back and forth. 

_Wasted on fixing all the problems that you made in your own head_

He had discarded Castiels trench-coat upon waking up, and it came as no surprise when he snuck outside and found her wearing it. The warmth of his coat enveloped her as Cleopatra kept a keen eye on the window of the motel room. Part of her contemplated knocking Jimmy unconscious with a mere snap of her fingers, hoping it would keep her from having to speak to him. Having to talk to the husk of the angel she lost would most likely drive of over the edge. 

_And it was not your fault but mine _

_And it was your heart on the line _

She had just wanted to keep him safe. She had thought that maybe, just _maybe_, God had granted her mercy from the pain that surrounded her life and gave her someone to share the gift of living with. It was her fault that he intercepted her that day in Lawrence. It was **her **fault for pursuing him. 

It was **her **fault that he was probably dead. 

"Cleopatra?" Her heart sank as Cleopatra lifted her head towards the voice, grimacing as Jimmy emerged from the darkness. "I know you don't want to speak to me, but there's an aura about you that Castiel admired. So do I." Jimmy gestured to the open spot on the hood. "May I?" 

"Whatever makes you happy." 

_I really messed it up this time, didn't I my dear? _

The raven haired woman sank into the familiarity of Castiel's coat, expression veiled by her hair as she removed her headphones and wrapped them loosely around her neck. "I'm sorry I make you uncomfortable. I can't even begin to imagine how you must be feeling." 

"You're right." She growled. A pang of guilt flooded her heart at the venom that dripped from her words, watching as Jimmy unintentionally winced at the sound. "You don't." 

"Are you always going to speak to me so venomously?" Cleopatra slid off the hood and turned around to face Jimmy Novak. He was wearing that same guilty expression she had seen so frequently on Castiel; Cobalt irises cast downward, head bowed towards his chest and hands awkwardly fumbling in his lap. 

"Jimmy.." She murmured. "What all did you see when you watched through Cas' eyes?" 

"I saw his unwavering devotion to you." He replied almost instantaneously. Cleopatra felt her knees begin to tremble as the hairs stood up on the back of her neck, eyes blurred by a wave of hot tears. "I saw him choose to go against everything he'd ever known to rebel against Heaven. He rebelled for a woman he cared very deeply about. A woman he was falling in lovewith." 

A deep, guttural sob broke past her lips as Cleopatra sank to the pavement, tears running down her face as she tightly pulled at her hair, mourning the loss of her angel as she wept heavily. 

Jimmy felt his heart break as the words she'd been whispering finally registered in his ears. 

"Jimmy Novak is not my soulmate." 

"Jimmy Novak is not my soulmate." 

"_Jimmy Novak is not my soulmate." _

No. He wasn't her soulmate. He was no warrior, he was no Angel, and he was most certainly not the one Cleopatra was waiting for. He was simply a man looking to reunite with the woman he loved and the daughter he had abandoned. He would never be Castiel, Angel of the Lord. 

But despite that. it didn't mean he would not care for her as Castiel did. 

[**_Chapter Fifteen continues 4x20 - The Rapture] _**


	16. I'm Coming Home

_I'm coming home, I'm coming home _

_Tell the world I'm coming home _

_Let the rain wash away _

_All the pain of yesterday.. And though my Kingdom awaits_

_And they've forgiven my mistakes.._

_\-------------------------------------------------_

When she woke up the next morning in the bed opposite of Deans, it came as no surprise to find that Jimmy had vanished entirely. Cleopatra barely grasped what had happened once she'd begun crying, but very vaguely remembered the curve of Jimmys arms and the gentleness of his smile as he whispered in her ear while carrying her to bed. 

"_Dean!_" Sam shouted as he stuffed clothes into his duffel bag. "Would you hurry up already?" Cleopatra gave her eyes a moment to adjust to the sunlight before they settled on Sam, and it took everything in her power to not unfurl her wings as a defense mechanism when she was met with the writhing image of his soul. 

Dear God.. It was so _dark. _

"Sam-" She murmured cautiously. "Were you drinking demon blood-" The younger Winchesters eyes widened as he lunged across the bed and pinned her to the mattress with his hand tightly clamped over her mouth. Hazy green eyes full of malice gazed back at her as Sam slowly removed his hand from her mouth, body still pinned between his legs. 

"Not-" He snapped under his breath, sure to enunciate each other. "One-Word."

They were out in the Impala within the next half an hour, Cleopatra tucked neatly in the back seat as she scrolled through the unread messages on her phone. Most were from her mother badgering her on their newest case, with the occasional email from Chief of Police in the areas surrounding Lawrence. 

It was when she opened an email from a previous friend in the Precinct that Anna materialized in the car. "Anna!" She shrieked, gripping the angels arm as Dean swerved the car away from oncoming traffic. "What are you _doing?!_" 

"Have you ever tried calling ahead?" Dean questioned, gripping the wheel with white fingers. 

Anna merely shrugged in response. "I like the element of surprise." She confessed. "So, what did Jimmy tell you? Did he tell any of you anything? I figured he'd spill more to Cleopatra- cause.. y'know. The soulmate thing with Cas. Did he remember anything?" 

"Why? What's going on?" 

Anna's expression became grave as she lightly gripped Cleopatras knee. "It's Cas." She replied. "He got sent back home. Well, more like _dragged _back. It's one of the worst things that can happen to us. Painfully, awfully bad. He must've seriously pissed someone off." 

Cleopatra leaned her head back against the seat and dug her fingers into her jeans, eyes screwed tightly shut as she struggled to compose her frantic breathing. She'd gone all this time under the assumption that Castiel was dead, and while he was probably not far from it.. Anna had not confirmed that she'd seen him die. It sparked a fire deep in her gut that told her Cas would be coming home.

But it didn't mean he'd be the same Cas that left her. 

"Cas seemed like he had something to tell me. Something important." Dean glanced at the two women in his backseat through the rear-view mirror. "Do you know what it is?" 

"No." Anna said. "Are you sure Jimmy doesn't know?" 

"I don't think so." 

Annas eyes narrowed as she leaned forward towards Dean and Sam. "You don't _think so?_" She uttered venomously. "That's not good enough, Dean. Whatever Cas wanted to tell you, it's big. You have to find out for sure." A warm hand encased her kneecap as Cleopatras eyes snapped open, renewed with a vigor to find Jimmy Novak. "He trusts you more then these two. Your face should be the first one he sees." 

"That would be why we're going after Jimmy." Sam replied matter-of-factly. 

"You shouldn't have let him go in the first place." Anna snapped. "I hope for your sake that he's not dead already." The redhead flashed her a comforting smile before she vanished from inside the Impala, leaving the tension high between the three travelers inside. Cleopatra pressed her body against the door and slowly inhaled through her nose, fingers flicking up her chest to wrap around the pendant that Reagan had forged for her years before. 

_Wait for me. _

Little to Castiels knowledge, she'd taken a photo of him the night they'd spent talking and placed it inside the locket. He'd been deeply engrossed in her Enochian lore that she still hadn't read, messy hair hung low over his browbone and cobalt blue eyes illuminated by the firelight. 

It perfectly captured the things she'd grown to love about Castiel, hence why it hung above her heart along with the last family picture taken before her brother and fathers death. 

When they finally pulled up outside the Novak residence what felt like an eternity later, Cleopatra immediately shot upward and allowed her angel blade to slip from her sleeve and into her fingers. Dean and Sam took notice of her sudden change in demeanor as her eyes flashed a soft gold. "Jimmy is in danger." She remarked before jumping out of the Impala, lunging up the steps and extending her hand towards the front door. The wood splintered into fragments the second she snapped her fingers, granting her access to the main floor.

Dean set course for the male demon while she lunged at the female, knocking her off of Jimmys form and back onto the ground. Her stomach twisted when she was bet with eyes of obsidian, lips pulled back into a poisonous smile as the tip of the angel blade loomed over the jugular. 

"_Cleopatra!_" 

For a fraction of a second she contemplated allowing the demon to live, thus rendering its host alive, but it would have still wreaked havoc upon the town. Better to kill one and save the lives of the many. 

Cleopatra slit the womans throat and stumbled backwards only to be pulled away by the familiar arms of Jimmy and Sam as Dean ushered Amelia and Claire out into the open. The bitter winter wind nipped at her skin as Amelia lead Claire into the backseat while Dean pushed her petite form into the middle of the extended drivers seat. "Honorary up front." He mused, winking as she sank into the leather. 

The entire trip away from the destruction inside of the Novak Home, Cleopatra could not shake the penetrating gaze that Jimmy was casting at the back of her head. He was moved that despite claiming to hate him, the woman had thrown a demon off of his body without a struggle and had killed her without hesitation. 

"You were right." Jimmy confessed as he gently shut the car door behind them. Dean and Sam now stood amidst an open parking garage, hands tucked into their jean pockets as the man slouched his shoulders, signaling his inevitable guilt over being wrong. "But I'm telling you, I don't know anything." 

"I don't think they're inclined to believe you, Jimmy." All three men turned towards the top of the car where Cleopatra sat with her knees tucked to her chest. "You're still a vessel, and they will want to know what makes you tick. If they're feeling generous, the most they'll do is vivisection." 

The utter calm in her voice told him that she was not joking. 

"I'm going to tell you once again, you're putting your family in danger." Cleopatra grit her teeth from behind closed lips as Sam spoke up, digging the hole he'd begun with her earlier that morning deeper and deeper the more he spoke. He was merely an instrument trying to keep a facade that somewhere in him was still _Sam Winchester, _the little boy that could. "You need to come with us." 

Jimmy blinked several times before glancing over his shoulder to gaze upon his girls. The two women who had given him a reason to continue living upon waking up. His medicine to keep his aching heart beating, and the ones he'd fought so hard to return to. Jimmy felt his heart sink when he was instead met with the soft green-blues of Cleopatra, expression mixed with concern of his well-being and utter irritation towards Sam's ability to be as blunt as possible in the worst circumstances. 

"How long?" He repeated, grimacing as Sam exhaled and vigorously shook his head. "And don't give me that we'll cross that bridge when we come to it crap."

"You just don't get it, do you? The demons will never stop! You can never be with your family." Cleopatra cursed under breath as Jimmy visibly sagged, shoulders slouched and lips curved into a frown. "So either you get as far away from them as possible, or you put a bullet in your head-" 

"_Sam!" _Cleopatra shouted. The Winchester brothers were caught completely off guard when the reverberations of her shout shook the pavement beneath their feet, and the younger Winchester was suspended in mid-air. Jimmy watched from behind awed eyes as Cleopatra turned her free hand towards Dean and snapped her fingers. "_Sleep." _

It took less then thirty seconds for the hunter to fall completely unconscious. 

"Now, I am going to make myself very clear here." The field that held Sam in mid-air shattered and he fell to the ground, hands braced to sturdy his fall as he regained his breath. "As long as I am standing here, no more will you make such crass comments. It's insensitive towards him, it's rude, and more importantly.. It's _inhumane. _I don't care how dark and ominous your soul is. What you have done with that blood is entirely your choice, and I want no part in it!" 

Cleopatra half expected some sort of sharp remark but was greeted with silence. 

"Whatever you've done to your heart has ruined the man I was told you were. The man I want to hold in high esteem." Sams heart constricted at the utter loathing Cleo carried towards him behind her words. "This is not truth. It is yourmisconstrued version of truth." She slowly turned on the heel of her boot and lifted her chin to gaze at Jimmy. "And to you, you insanely _brave _man, I'm sorry. I'm sorry you have witnessed such a bitterness and hatred from me. I'm sorry I'm not the woman Castiel loves, and more importantly.. I am so deeply sorry that you were pulled into any of this to begin with. But what he said is partially true. As long as you are breathing, these demons will rip the Earth apart trying to find you. Then when they do, they'll kill your family and force you to watch. You'll feel helpless for being unable to help and the guilt will rip you apart. Then they'll torture you until they have every detail of angelic possession they can get their hands on. Having your family around is a liability, Jimmy. I would know." She paused and closed her eyes, her stomach clenching as Reagans smile flashed behind closed eyelids. "It's why mine is dead." 

''Me leaving will keep them safe? Hidden away from the demons?" He questioned uncertainly, like a child in school who was afraid to speak up and answer the question. 

"Yes." 

Jimmy Novak straightened his shoulders and clenched his jaw, the muscle pulled taut as they ticked against his jawbone. He knew Cleopatra Carter. He _trusted _her. As long as she said that Amelia and Claire were doomed to die by staying with him, he'd follow her word. 

"Then I'll send them somewhere safe. I need my girls to be safe." A soft gasp broke past her lips as Cleopatra was pulled to his chest, arms wrapped tightly around her form as it dawned upon her - He was _hugging _her. "That includes you."

Within the next ten minutes, Jimmy had bid his farewell to Amelia and Claire while Sam hot wired the only car in the garage, leaving Cleopatra to attend to Dean. The hunter smiled wearily as his emerald eyes fluttered open only to gaze upon the concerned face of his newest friend. "It's always nice to wake up to a gorgeous girl in my lap." He murmured, gasping as Cleopatra punched him in the arm. "_Ow_\- That was a compliment!" 

"I know." She grinned and winked as the two of them stood up. "That's my way of telling you I love you." 

Dean couldn't help but smile as the raven haired woman gestured Jimmy into the back seat of the Impala, bidding farewell to his wife and daughter as Sam sat in the passenger seat. It had been a rough road to get to where they were now, and with the secret resting on his shoulders, it was a miracle she associated herself with him. 

And to think... after all these years, she _loved _him as a part of her family. 

He was waiting for her to call him brother. Or even better, to call him something _better. _It didn't have to be right now. He'd give her time. 

All good things take time.

*** 

With the familiarity of Jimmys body - Cas' vessel - _whatever _you want to call it sitting next to her, it was difficult to not curl up against him and fall asleep. She could vaguely hear Dean and Sam bickering in the front of the Impala, the gentle words to Lynyrd Skynyrds _Simple Man _flowing through the radio. 

For the most part she was on the brink of slumber, but it was the small things keeping her tethered to consciousness. The feeling of Jimmys hand tucked between their bodies. The gentle whisper of Sam's voice - Until her mind registered exactly what it was he said. 

"_I'm scared of myself, and I'm scared of Cleopatra." _

She had never intended to strike the fear of God into the younger Winchester, but with how he and Dean had been treating Cas before being expelled out of Jimmy, it was moreso instinctual to come to his defense. Her heart sank when he uttered it, because no one had ever been afraid of her before. Reagan had been the one to make sure that no one ever came near her. He was the one who kept her safe. 

And now she was the one who kept Castiel safe, and she was striking pure, unadulterated terror into the hearts of those who dared to cross him. 

The blaring sound of a ringing phone drew her from her sleep. “Hello?” Sam asked groggily, peering out the windshield through narrowed eyes. “Who is this?” After a moment of silence, the younger Winchester finally turned around and extended his hand towards Jimmy. “Hey man, it’s your wife.” 

Jimmy leaned into her shoulder as he took the phone from Sam, his hand coming to rest just on the edge of her knee as he pressed the phone to his ear. “Amelia?” His face fell and his grip tightened on her knee as fear crossed over his expression. Whoever was talking to him on the other side of the phone was most definitely not the woman he had married. “Oh my God.” 

The tension was high by the time they arrived to the warehouse where Amelia had demanded the four of them meet her with Claire, but she had also stated that Jimmy walked in there alone. Cleopatra swallowed the bile in her throat as Jimmy Novak shrugged on his trench coat and flashed what she could've only assumed was a forced smile before he turned away from her, leaving an uneasy feeling of dread looming in her gut. 

"Okay, they're expecting you to come in there alone.. So that is exactly what you are going to do." Dean replied. 

"We'll be up on the catwalks with Cleopatra, right behind you." Sam interjected.

Cleopatra vigorously shook her head. "You two still have yet to see what I'm capable of. Alot of the powers I possess I have kept restrained because one wrong move, and the Earth implodes. If I'm gonna do anything, I'm gonna hide in the shadows and make sure this guy doesn't get killed." She squeezed Jimmys shoulder affectionately. 

''You want me to _stall?_" Jimmy replied indignantly. "This is my family we're talking about here!" 

"Listen to me," Dean said. "This is going to work. No one is going to get hurt here, okay?" 

The patriarch of the Novak family merely shook his head and turned to the mouth of the warehouse, running a hand uneasily through his hair as he took a deep breath in through his mouth. On the other side of those doors was his little girl - and the woman he loved. 

"Yeah whatever, give me a minute. Okay?" 

Before the boys could protest, Cleopatra disappeared without a moments notice to the roof of the warehouse - granting her the perfect vantage point over Amelia and Claire. Her eyes flickered over to the wall that separated them from Jimmy, and her heart sank when he began to shout at the sky. 

''_Castiel! You promised my family would be okay, you promised you would take care of them!_" He screamed angrily, blue eyes cast towards the Heavens as if he expected some sort of response. Her heart ached at how familiar his anger was to her; Almost akin to the way she had yelled at Gabriel for not protecting her father and brother. "Do you hear me Heaven?! Help me, please!" 

Cleopatra felt her blood turn to ice at his following words, "_You promised Cas!" _

Her mind backtracked to a few days before when Castiel had appeared to her in her dream, begging her to wait for his return. She'd never forget the look of pure terror lurking deep in his eyes just before she had woken up. What if he'd been making empty promises since the day they had met? If he was doing it to Jimmy.. 

Who's to say he wouldn't do it to her? 

"_Get it together, you over-emotional sap._" She growled, toes digging into her boots as she sprinted off of the roof and onto the following paneling to the room Jimmy had just entered. Amelia stood tall beside the unconscious form of Claire, devious smile spread across what normally would've been a soft expression. 

"Hello honey." She drawled. "Welcome home." 

"Listen, I'm begging you here. Do whatever you want with me. But my wife and daughter-" She cursed under her breath as his voice caught in his throat, eyes fixated on Claire as Amelia began walking towards him "They're not a part of this!" 

"Oh, but that's just it. They're a big part of this. And yes," Amelia paused in her statement. "You should have come alone." Cleopatra quietly jumped down and stood directly behind Jimmy, fingers ghosting the curve of his shoulder as Amelia could not see her form. 

"I am alone." 

The blonde woman grinned widely. "Oh, you're such a _liar._" She spat. "To think you wouldn't bring Heckle and Jeckle, hm?" The door burst open and the Winchester brothers were pushed through, each held firmly in the grasps of 2 demon possessed male and a female. "You got the knife?" 

The female nodded and held up the blade they'd received from Ruby. 

"You wanna know what's funny?" 

Dean snorted out of amusement. "You wearing a soccer mom?" He retorted. 

The demon possessing Amelia's body visibly sagged, pride vanishing from her expression as she dug her hands deeper into her coat pockets. "I was bummed to get this detail." She confessed. "Picking up an empty vessel? Sort of like a milk run, but look who landed into my lap instead!" 

"Okay, you've got us." Sam said. Cleopatra frowned as she noticed the bags that had grown under his eyes since they'd left the motel. Running around and hunting without the fuel of the demon blood in his veins was really beginning to take its toll on him. "Now let these people go." 

"Oh Sam, it's easy to act chivalrous with your wonder girl powers not working, isn't it?" 

Dean cast a sideways glance at his brother and tilted his chin upward. _Anytime now Cleo. _He whispered into the recesses of his mind, unaware that the Nephilim was lurking right beside him and waiting for the opportune moment to reveal herself. Her fingers were tightly wrapped around the hilt of her angel blade, sea foam irises narrowed in on Amelia. 

But as they say, 

The words you wish to speak don't matter until it is finally too late. 

Too late to utter that final goodbye.

Too late to say you're sorry. 

Too late to tell them you love them more deeply then you had ever imagined. 

** _[_ ** ** _This part is strictly from Jimmys POV - Song used is I'm Coming Home]_ **

The moment that gun was whipped out and fired, Jimmy Novak swore he saw a bright light as gold as Heavens Gates, followed by the faint outline of wings against the walls of the warehouse. 

And then an inexplicable pain bloomed in his abdomen. His trembling fingers rose to his line of sight, and he found them stained with red. 

His eyes fell upon her. Cleopatra. The Nephilim that Castiel loved, who was now staring at him with wide eyes and clutching her chest. Jimmy had heard her statement outside the warehouse. "I'm going to make sure this guy doesn't die." 

_Don't make promises you can keep, sweetheart. _

He could hear the commotion of demons fighting with the Winchesters as he crawled across the floor, dirt and blood caking under his fingernails as his eyes fell on the now conscious form of his daughter. It was the second that Claire opened her eyes that he knew something else was inhabiting her.

"Castiel?" 

_And the blood will dry _

_Underneath my nails _

Cleopatra ducked underneath flying fists and stood in the open space in front of the fight. Her gaze settled on Claire, who was staring back at her just as intently, but through a different pair of eyes. "I know you. This way that you're acting is not the angel that's bound to me." She remarked. "You don't inhabit children without permission. So for the sake of your own dignity, get _out_ of Claire Novak." 

She knew something was wrong when he brushed past her as if she wasn't there to begin with. 

_And the wind will rise up to fill my sails _

Cleopatras entire being shuddered to her very core when she slowly turned around and found herself face to face with Sam, whos lips were covered in the blood of the woman he had killed. "You wanna know why I'm terrified of you Sam?" Cleopatra murmured, uneasily shifting on her feet. "Because you look like the creature from my nightmares." 

The younger Winchester shoved his blade between the rib cage of the possessed woman and stood to his feet, swallowing thickly when he realized how many pairs of eyes were trained on him. It had always made him uncomfortable to be the center of attention, but knowing that it was because he'd just sucked the blood out of a woman like some vampire made it a hundred times worse. 

Sam extended his hand just as Amelia came around the corner, halting her in her tracks as black smoke poured from her mouth. The petrified woman sank to her knees as Dean ran over to her, leaving Cleopatra to follow Claire back into the main room where Jimmy still lay. 

The young girl knelt down in front of her father and gently carded her fingers through his hair. 

"Of course we keep our promises." 

_So you can doubt _

_And you can hate_

_But I know... No matter what it takes _

"Of course you have our gratitude." Castiel/Claire praised. "You served us well. Your work is done." Jimmys tear filled cobalt eyes flickered behind his daughter to the woman he'd come so highly to respect, who was quivering in her shoes trying to suppress her anger over Castiel inhabiting Claire. "It's time to go home now. Your _real _home. You'll rest forever in the fields of the Lord." 

_I"m coming home _

_I'm coming home _

_Tell the world I'm coming home _

She had failed Reagan by letting him go on that hunt, had failed her father by not remaining at her mothers side. A little girl has to grow up and leave her parents to become the woman they raised her to be. Cleopatra Carter had packed her bags and stayed exactly where she wanted, leaving her mother to run from their past to the safety of Topeka. Her heart could no longer bear the thought of living in the house where their lives had been lost. Where love had died. 

_Let the rain wash away_

_All the pain of yesterday _

"Rest now Jimmy." 

"No-" Jimmy pleaded, wincing as another wave of searing pain soared through his body. He vaguely saw the silhouette of Cleopatra approach him, the rank smell of corpses scattered on the floor, and the taste of blood was palpable on his tongue. Cleopatra opted to remain as far away from Castiel/Claire as possible, fingers gently resting on top of his hand that laid at his side. "Claire-" 

She wanted to heal him. Her Nephilim grace should've worked... would've worked.. but she wanted him to be willing to take Castiel back into his body so Claire could live a normal life. _Selfish. _

_And though my Kingdom awaits_

_And they've forgiven my mistakes _

"She's with me now. She's chosen. It's in her blood, as it was in yours." Cleopatra grimaced when Jimmy gasped sharply, the sound of gurgling blood bubbling in his lungs echoing in the room as she slowly helped him sit up against the wall. 

"Please Castiel- Take me. Just take me. _Please." _The Nephilim lifted her chin to regard the young girl, who was now staring back at her through such young eyes. It was almost a relief to not see tragedy lurking deep within them. 

"Castiel." Cleopatra replied firmly as her fingers wrapped around Claires chin, gripping it loosely as she pulled her closer. "I'm only going to tell you this once. You possessed this girl without her permission and that is against angelic code. Now do yourself a favor, and _get out _of her!" 

Claire pressed her lips into a thin line. "I want to make sure you understand this." She said. "You won't die or age. If this last year was painful for you, picture a hundred just like it." Jimmy leaned into Cleopatra as he gripped Claires arm like a vice. 

"Doesn't matter. You take me." He demanded weakly. "Just take me." 

_I'm coming home_

_I'm coming home _

_Tell the world I_'_m_ _coming.. _

_"_As you wish.'' 

A magnificent bright light filled the room as Castiel transferred his essence, his grace, back into the body of Jimmy Novak. But before the repossession, Jimmy managed to gaze back up at the woman beside him and utter three words before Cleopatra was gazing at the eyes of the angel. 

"_He's home again." _

While Amelia rushed to embrace her daughter, Cleopatra frowned as she now stood between Dean and Sam, wrapping her arms around both of their shoulders as they awaited an explanation from Cas. "Hey Cas, hold up." Dean called out. The Seraph paused in his tracks and turned to his friends. "What were you going to tell me?" 

_No more love for you, Castiel. It is time you learned why angels do not serve man, but serve the will of Heaven. You are to remain as stoic and distant from your Nephilim as you were when you met. Emotional attachments cloud judgment, and you are a soldier. Not a hopeless fool in love. _

"I learned my lesson while I was away Dean." His eyes slowly shifted between the three. "I don't serve man, I serve Heaven." Then they fell upon her figure and softened if only for a fraction of a second before morphing back into the cold, hostile angel she'd met so many months ago. "And I certainly don't serve **_you_**." 


	17. Losin' My Fragile Mind

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Going to begin uploading 3 chapters a day again until I'm caught up with where I'm currently drafted.

_I think I'm losing my mind, but here's the catch. You wanna hear it?_

_Nobody can tell the difference. _

_\-----------------------------------------------_

_Locked away like a caged animal. _

Another pointless return home to Lawrence. Another night plagued with dreams of Castiel. Another night of endless anxiety over the Winchesters - more specifically, Sam. Dean had called when the two of them had departed from Bobby Singers house after the younger Winchester had been locked away to begin his detox of demon blood. 

It was the ringing of her phone that drew her from her fitful sleep. 

"Cleopatra?" Dean murmured. Her eyes shot open as the Nephilim sat upward in her bed, vision blurred by the darkness that enveloped her. She extended her hand towards the lamp on the opposite side of the room and snapped her fingers to turn it back on. "Are you awake?" 

"Haven't slept well the past day." She whispered, running her hand over her face. "I keep seeing Cas in my dreams. He's not entering them like he did before he got expelled from Jimmy, but his presence is just.. there. It's the most invigorating feeling, Dean. To know that there's this man out there that will eventually fall in love with _me. _God's most infamous Abomination." 

"Darling, if you are anything... You are most certainly not an abomination." Dean said firmly. "You have done nothing but offer us help since the day I came out of Hell. While you may be afraid of Sammy.. Believe me, having you here is more beneficial to both of us then you probably realized. Especially for me." 

The silence that followed his statement brought tears to her eyes. "Dean? What do you mean?" 

From where he stood in the garage outside Bobby's house, Dean Winchester exhaled sharply and lifted his head towards the sky. He had never been one to openly express his emotions - But ever since their conversation when Anna had first become an issue, he had never felt more safe then when in her presence. Maybe because she reminded him of what it was like to have someone love you unconditionally just as his mother had. 

"I know we're still gettin' to know each other again Cleo, but you make me feel more secure then I have in a long time. You know how to pull me back on the path of what is right, and I can't thank you enough for it. You make me want to be a good man. A _righteous _man. I know you are terrified of what Sam is capable of-" Dean awkwardly scratched the back of his neck. "But once we get him detoxed, you are looking at the complete opposite of my baby brother. He's a good kid.. Please, just give him a chance." 

“Okay. I will.” A small smile quirked her lips upward as she twirled her fingers through her hair. "I've been striving so long to find happiness. I found it in Castiel.. and I've been looking for someone to replace the hole that was left when Reagan died." She pressed the phone closer to her ear and whispered, 

"_I think I finally found it." _

***

She made her way to Bobby Singers the next day, making sure to overpack her duffel bag due to the fact she was more then aware that she wouldn’t be returning home for quite a while. Cleopatra stood in the foyer of her home and gripped her bag with white knuckles, inhaling deeply before she cast her eyes upon the door. 

“You can do this.” Cleopatra murmured. “You can help the Winchesters beat the Apocalypse. You can bring back_your_ Castiel.” She slowly extended her hand towards the doorknob. “Stand up.” 

Wind blew through her hair as she opened the door, only to be greeted by copious amounts of sunlight. The street outside of her home was vacant, albeit the children gamboling on their bicycles down the sidewalk. If you listened just close enough.. You can hear the distant songs of church bells.

“Take a deep breath.” 

Her fingers trembled as her wings slowly unfurled from the slits she had cut into her leather jacket. 

“And keep walking.” 

_Meanwhile at Bobby Singer's Home _

Castiel frowned as the unmistakable sound of Sam's panicked shouting echoing against the walls of the panic room. Sam had been on detox from the demon blood for well over a day, inducing mass hallucinations and severe delusions. 

He had only begun to unlock the system of bolts on the double-enforced steel door when an unseen force pinned him against the wall of the basement. The Seraph grunted underneath the mass pressure applied to his airway until a pair of angered gold eyes materialized in front of him. 

"Trying to unlock Sammy, now are we?" Cleopatra murmured, venom dripping from her tone as she slowly leaned closer to Castiels steely expression. "Let me ask you something, Cas. Are you stuck on stupid?" Castiels hands subconsciously reached upward until they were wrapped around her hips in a vice, gritting his teeth from behind closed lips as they stared at one another. 

"I will put this as simply as I can. I am fulfilling my **_orders._**" Cas growled as his eyes visibly darkened, "Whatever this stuck on stupid means, I can assure you that what I am trying to fulfill does not concern the likes of a _Nephilim._" They way he spoke to her as if she was some mere creature, like the scum of the Earth, made her stomach curl with an uneasy trepidation. 

Her grip on him tightened as anger replaced the confusion pumping through her veins. After all the effort she'd put into Jimmy Novak, saving the Winchesters from their nightmares and their demons, the struggle to coming to terms with having an angelic soulmate. She had been working non-stop to reassure Castiel that he meant the world to her. 

It didn't seem like it had been enough. 

And he had the audacity to mention hiding Heavens Orders because she was a _Nephilim?_

"You bas-" She swallowed her crude words and raised her hand, grimacing as it collided so hard with his cheek that it completely jarred his head to the side. "What is _wrong _with you, Castiel? Have you not figured it out yet? Heaven is manipulating you and you are too much of a coward to stand up and tell them!” 

Castiel made no move to pry himself away from her because deep down, a part of him knew he deserved her scrutiny. But if pushing her away was what would keep her safe.. 

Then that's what he would do. 

Cleopatra froze as the door to the panic room slowly opened and revealed Sam's disheveled form, hazel eyes bright with fear as he silently navigated his way through the house. Her heart broke at the sight of him - His expression pale and cheeks sunk in, and dark bags had begun to grow under his eyes from lack of sleep due to the hallucinations. 

"_This is not the angel I fell for." _Cleopatra hissed in his ear, her grip tightening on his trench coat as she felt his wings flutter nervously beneath her hands. A sign that he was growing more anxious around her the longer she was angry. Castiels eyes snapped over to her own before they met for a fraction of a second, and the Seraph left her with the whisper of the most solemn statement she'd ever heard from him. It was dripping with self-hatred and guilt - A new feeling that seemed to accompany Cas everywhere he went. 

"_I will never be the angel you want to love." _

*** 

When Dean woke up the following morning from quite possibly the most restful sleep he'd had in ages, it was to the comforting feeling of warm fingers carding through his hair. He allowed his eyes to remain shut as if he were still sleeping, but Dean was now fully attentive to the whispering woman beside him. 

"Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep. Keep these nightmares far away, from my brother each and every day. Amen." Cleopatra smiled as she was met with glistening emerald irises that narrowed to adjust to the sunlight filtering through the windows. "G'morning gorgeous. How're you?" 

"Happy now." He murmured. Cleopatra extended a hand and hoisted Dean to his feet, timidly wrapping her arms around his torso as she pulled him into a tight embrace. His entire body shuddered at the contact, and Dean felt the tension in his muscles subside as his face came to fall in the crook of her neck. " 'M starving." 

"I made eggs and bacon. Bobby had just enough in stock that didn't happen to be liquor." Cleopatra replied. Bobby glanced upward from where he sat behind his desk and flashed a toothless smile before he turned back to the lore book spread out in front of him. "Listen Dean. Sam-" 

He knew the moment her face fell. "Where is he?" 

As Dean and Bobby took off down to the basement where the Panic Room was, Cleopatra remained tucked on the couch in the living room as she absentmindedly traced the tattoo she'd got on her arm the last time she'd returned home. It was only several inches wide, spreading across the inner part of her wrist in a scribe that the tattoo artist was perplexed to be etching onto someone elses skin. 

She couldn't go another day without gazing upon Castiels name written on her skin - meant as a constant reminder to herself that there was indeed someone who loved her. Someone who wanted to be with her, to spend what life he had with her. The Seraph had a bigger heart then he cared to admit, and that was probably why he had been pushing her away. He didn't think he was good enough for her. 

"Castiel." She whispered as the pad of her finger traced the Enochian on her arm. "_Hear me, Angel. _I'm not afraid of you, sweetie. Please.. don't let Heaven dictate who you are. You are a better man then any of them will ever be. Hear me.." She lifted her arm to her lips and brushed them against his name. 

"_Come home." _

After Dean and Bobbys careful examination of the busted Devils Traps and the unbolted door on the Panic Room, Cleopatra hopped into the Impala to follow Dean in tracking Sam who was no doubt looking for Ruby to replenish his lack of demon blood. They peeled out of Singer's Garage and took off down the road towards Jamestown, North Dakota. 

After several hours of silence, Dean cleared his throat and shifted his gaze to his peripheral vision to glance at Cleopatra. She was tucked against the door with her arm beneath her head, lips slightly pursed and hair swept over her eyes as she slept. He envied how innocent she looked when she slept - an innocence he'd been forced to relinquish upon becoming a hunter. 

"Cleo-" He murmured, lightly squeezing her knee as he pulled the car into the lot of the motel where Sam had been seen last and putting it in park. Cleopatra yawned as her eyes fluttered open to be greeted by darkness and the gentle hum of the Impalas engine. "C'mon hon. We're here." 

Dean froze when a pale hand flashed in his vision and was soon wrapped around his wrist. Cleopatra tugged him backward into the Impala to where he was almost hovering over top of her, eyes glowing softly as she stared up at him. "If it comes to killing Sam, Dean.." She murmured uncertainly. "Would you do it?" 

"He's my brother." Dean whispered softly. "I don't think I could if I tried." 

The pair softly trekked through the carpeted calls of the motel until they found Sam crossing the hall into another room parallel to his. Dean lead the way with his hand tightly wrapped around the hilt of the demon knife, He glanced over his shoulder to the Nephilim standing behind him, angel blade poised in her fingers as she waited for his signal. 

Dean broke into the room first, immediately lunging for Ruby who was standing by the bed and immediately whipped around at the sound of footsteps. Just as she moved to drive the knife aimed for her throat through the delicate skin, two arms wrapping through her arms and wrapping tightly around her sternum. "_Let-_" Cleopatra growled as she trashed in Sams vice like hold. "_Go-Of- ME!" _

"Don't kill her!" Sam protested. "Just take it easy, okay?" 

The younger Winchester was thrown backwards by what seemed to be a violent wind blowing in his face and forcing him to loosen his grip on the Nephilim in his arms, but it was in fact the violent swish of her wings as Cleopatra used them to pry herself away from Sam. Breathless and beyond enraged at his association with the demon behind him, she allowed Dean to continue scrutinizing his brothers absurd choices. 

"Well, that must've been some party you two had going considering how hard you tried to keep the two of us from crashing it." Dean replied sarcastically as his thumb swept away the droplet of blood that had formed on his lip. "The only reason the most powerful being on the planet isn't killing that _scum _behind you is because she's too loyal to me to do it herself. When I give her the signal, Ruby's nothin' more then ashes." 

"Dean, I'm glad you and Cleopatra are here." Sam confessed. It was true. Part of him had been petrified to see the reactions he'd get from his oldest brother and newest friend upon realizing that once he'd broken out he had immediately gone to Ruby to refill on his demon blood. If he was to sacrifice the minuscule amount of sanity he still clung to in order to save the world, Sam would do it. He would do it in order to keep those he loved safe. He didn't matter anymore. Dean was the one who did. "Please- Let's just talk about this." 

"As soon as she's dead, we can talk all you want!" 

"Sam- I am the most repulsive heavenly abomination you two will ever lay eyes upon in your life. I literally was not supposed to be born. It goes against every single code written since the creation of Earth." Cleopatra said earnestly. "What you are doing here, associating yourself with that vile creature.. You are succumbing to the temptation of the blood because she's manipulating you into doing it. That's what demons - that's what _Lucifer _does. They don't call him the Prince of Darkness for no reason, Sammy." 

"So you're saying that she's using me? For what? To let Lucifer out of the cage?!" Sam exclaimed indignantly, completely baffled at the implication that Ruby would be stupid enough, let alone reckless enough, to do such a thing. 

His heart thrummed against his sternum as Sam Winchester was met with timid gold eyes. 

"That's exactly what she's doing."

By the time he had even considered telling her to leave the room, Sam found that Ruby had completely vanished from his sight, which left him alone with Dean and Cleopatra. "This isn't what you think, Cleopatra-" He interjected, only to be silenced by the raising of her hand. 

"I've been dealing with demons and angels my entire life, but not men with the degree of self destruction like you two. Dean is right, Sam. She's poison. Now I can't compare this you to the younger you before you became addicted to the blood.. but I'm willing to wager that who you were then would despise who you are now. Tell me. Where did she go for all those weeks at a time?" 

Dean had told her very explicitly about Ruby's disappearances. How she only came around when Sam needed to recharge. 

It wasn't a coincidence that she happened to show up at the opportune time, _every single time. _

"She was looking for Lillith!" 

Deans jaw slackened as disbelieving laughter fell past his lips. He stretched his hands outward and simply shrugged as if he was completely amazed at how utterly clueless his younger brother was. "That's practically French for manipulating your a** ten ways from Sunday!" 

Sam stood his ground, much to her amazement. And it was just as the brothers moved to stand eye to eye, prepared for a full out brawl, that she heard it. The tiny familiar voice lingering in the back of her mind - the one that was always there when she needed him most.

_Cleopatra - You portray the glory of both your Earthly and Heavenly Father._

The softened expressions and tender words turned to venomous, bitter remarks spat at one another. Dean wasn't strong enough. Sam was far more capable. 

_This is only going to go downhill from here. There is no escaping the inevitable. Dean Winchester will attempt to save the world._

The first punch was thrown, followed by the messy scattering of shattered glass and debris spread across the room. She vaguely heard the sound of Sams anger, saw the way Dean refused to hit his brother when he came to terms with reality - Sam was turning into the monsters they hunted. 

_Sam Winchester will break it. _

Her heart sank when Cleopatra fell to her knees behind Dean, still lost in the trance of Castiels voice so clear in her mind as she cradled his head in her lap. 

"You don't know me." Sam snarled as he removed his fingers from Deans neck. Cleopatra slowly unfurled her delicately arched gold and white wings and wrapped them around Deans body, cradling the older Winchester close to her torso as he solemnly watched his brother approach the door. "You never have, and you never will." 

"You walk out that door-" Dean called out hoarsely. "Don't you _ever _come back!" 

_And Lucifer will finally be free. _


	18. Lucifer Rising: Part One

_And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the Devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him._

_\- Revelation 12:9 _

_ **<><><><><><><><><><<><><><<><><><>** _

"I want to save him." 

Dean turned around from where he was leaning against the Impala, fingers poised around the neck of his beer bottle as Cleopatra sat cross legged on the ground before him. The two of them had decided to stop at the halfway point to Sioux Falls and rent a motel room for the night before finally arriving at Bobby Singers home to build the next phase of their plan. "Who are we talking about now? Are we still on Sammy.. or now are we on Cas?" 

"I was talking more specifically about Sam, but thank you for once again putting my mind back on the angel who wants nothing to do with me." She replied bitterly as she stood to her feet, snatching the plastic bag that contained her stuff from the gas station before grabbing her things from the trunk of the Impala. "I just.. I miss him, y'know? He made me feel something I didn't know was possible.. and now he's just _gone. _Like breath on a mirror. Almost like he never existed to begin with." 

"Did I tell you that he came to me at the house just before Sam took off? Wanted me to be the servant of the Angels. Do whatever they asked. I even asked him about you. Why he kept pushing you away." The two of them entered the motel room they'd rented and frowned when the realization dawned upon them: There was only one bed. Regardless of the fact it was king sized, there was still only one bed in the room. "I'll take the sofa." 

"Dean, for the love of-" Cleopatra interjected. "Have you not shared a bed with a woman before that you didn't sleep with?" The elder Winchester shook his head, eliciting a snort from the Nephilim as she knelt beside her duffel bag and began to rummage for her pajamas and showering supplies. "Please, do continue. What did he tell you?" 

Cleopatra immediately noticed the way his shoulders sagged and his head dipped towards his chest. "Cas saved me from Hell. He's become a good friend... But he's just lost sight of what really matters to him. I made a promise not to tell you any of this." Dean confessed softly as he rubbed the back of his neck. "He's pushing you away to protect you." 

The genuine tone of his words fueled her fire as Cleopatra stood to her feet, her eyes glowing a soft gold underneath the dimmed light of the room. "_Why? _Why does he think that pushing me away is going to protect me? If anything.. Being away from him is slowly tearing me apart." 

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say the angel is fallin' in love with Heavens Most Feared." Dean said. "But I don't know better. I wouldn't be able to tell until I saw it." And with that Dean retreated into the bathroom, leaving Cleopatra alone with her thoughts while he turned on the shower and drowned out the silence in running water. The Nephilim slowly exhaled through her mouth and allowed her hair to fall over her face, head bowed towards her chest as she drummed her fingers against her thigh. 

"Dear Heavenly Father.. I know it's been quite a while since I've prayed, and I'm sorry. I'm sorry for straying off of the path that leads me to you. Losing Daddy.. That was when everything changed. When love died. When I changed.. and I want nothing more then to be able to stand on my own two feet with no fear of what is coming ahead of me. God.. Tonight I pray for _Gabriel._" Her lips quivered as her throat slowly began to constrict at the thought of the Archangel. "I miss him. Can you.. you know.. send him my way? I'm not mad at him for Dad anymore.. I never was. I just want him to come tell me how much he missed his Sunflower." A wry, somber smile graced her features as the pads of her fingers grazed the locket fastened around her neck. "God, tonight I pray for the Seraph you set aside for me to marry someday. I don't know where he is or what he's doing.. but please, help me find the words. Help me express just how good of a man he is, and to show him what is truly right. And please.. if you truly value the words of your children.. _Protect Castiel _in all his endeavors. Help me to be the woman he needs." 

By the time that Dean emerged from the shower, Cleopatra was half asleep on the right side of the bed with the comforter pulled up to her chest and her body curled in on itself. He gazed at the slight trembling of her shoulders and frowned as he crawled into bed, allowing his fingers to gently graze her shoulder blade in an attempt for her to look at him. "Hey, Cleo." Dean whispered, his lips parting upward in that beautiful smile she adored as the rough pads of his thumbs wiped the tears that had gathered on her cheeks away. "Everything is gonna be okay, hon. I'm not gonna let anything happen to you or to Cas. Not as long as I'm still breathing." 

"Why?" She uttered quietly, almost ashamed to have been asking it. "Why would you do that for me?" 

"It's like you said, you think you've found the replacement for the hole your brother left when he died. And me?" Dean shuddered as she moved a fraction of an inch closer, her nose grazing the top of his teeshirt just above his heart. She was so _warm_. "I was looking for that unconditional love I never got from my mom. My dad was a dictator in everything he did, never gave us an opportunity to _feel_ cause hunters were supposed to be cold, emotionless, ruthless beings of destruction. When I met you again.. Part of me knew that we'd get here. Where you'd eventually be my best friend." When Dean glanced back down at the woman in his arms, he suddenly realized that she had fallen asleep snug against his chest. "You've done nothing but stand up for me and defend me since you came back into my life, and if this is the last possible moment that I can tell you this.. I am so thankful for it." 

***

The following morning found them in the living room of Bobby Singers house. Cleopatra sat tucked on the sofa with her legs beneath her, eyes keenly observing Deans tense body language as Bobby expectantly waited for him to respond. "Dean- Earth to _Dean- _Did you listen to a word I said?" 

"Yeah, I did." Dean replied. "I'm not calling him, Bobby. We're gettin' pretty close to the beginning of Armageddon. Don't you think we have bigger fish to fry at the moment?" 

"I know you're pissed, and you have every reason to be. I'm not makin' apologies for what he's done, but he is your-" 

"Blood?" Dean interjected. "He's my blood? Is that what you were going to say?" Cleopatras eyes shifted over to Bobby Singer, who simply exhaled through his nose and allowed his head to fall to his chest. The tension in the room was growing increasingly thick over the inevitable beginning of the end, and she could see the effect it was taking on the two hunters in front of her. 

"He's your brother, and he's drowning." 

She dug her fingers into the fabric of her jeans to restrain herself from leaving the room, a habit she had taken on for when the stress became far too difficult for her to bear. Cleopatra set her gaze firmly on the fireplace behind the desk, the argument occurring between Dean and Bobby gradually fading in and out. She very vaguely heard something about Sam being too far gone to save, and before she could make any sort of remark about how no one was too far gone, Bobby decided to do it for her. 

"_Well, boo-hoo!" _The older man jeered, storming towards Dean whos expression contorted into something between shock and fear. "I'm so sorry that your feelings are hurt, Princess! Are you under the impression that family is supposed to make you feel _good? _Make you an apple pie, maybe? They're supposed to make you miserable. It's why they're _family!_" 

Despite the fact that Bobby was very clearly trying to express tough love to the older Winchester, she saw wisdom in his words.. to a certain extent. That didn't stop the fact that Dean was clearly raging between bringing his brother home and abandoning him for good, just as Sam had abandoned Dean and John upon running away to college. "I told him that if he walked out that door, he didn't need to come back!" Dean snapped in response. "That was his choice!" 

"Bobby-" Cleopatra ushered softly as she stood to her feet, moving to step in between the two men. The Nephilim had not spent much time with Deans surrogate father, but she knew enough based on what she had seen and been told to know that Bobby Singer was a good man who loved the Winchester boys deeply. "I think you've made your point there, old man." 

"Doesn't matter, cause I ain't done yet." Bobby replied. Cleopatra sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose as Dean released his grip on her wrist, walking away from her and toward the window. "You sound like a whiny brat. Even worse.. you sound like your dad." 

_That was the wrong thing to say!_

She winced as Dean whipped back around, expecting an earful about how he was nothing like John, but was met with a set jaw and flashing emerald eyes. "Now let me tell you something. Your dad was a coward." 

"I know my father was alot of things, Bobby. But a coward? _Really?" _

"He'd rather push Sam away then reach out to him. That don't strike me as brave." Bobby replied. "You are a better man then your daddy ever was." Dean snorted in disbelief as Cleopatra came to stand beside the older hunter, gently leaning into his shoulder as the two of them stared at Dean. 

"I've told you this a thousand times since we came back together, Dean." Cleopatra said. "You know it. You just don't want to believe it." 

Her words settled into his stomach like an anchor, causing him to swallow the bile that threatened to rise in his throat. Dean Winchester was not a good man - He was a sinner, one who lusted over women, who took to gamboling when in need of money, stole, drank excessively.. Murdered. He _wanted _to be a good man for the people he loved, but the fact of the matter was.. He was what his dad had turned him into. A soldier. 

"Now do us both a favor." Bobby said softly. "Don't be him." 

The room seemed to dematerialize around them in that moment, leaving both Cleopatra and Dean utterly clueless as to how they'd transported to an unfamiliar area. The ceilings of the room they now occupied were high, with gold accents lining the doorways and accompanying furniture. The marble table in the middle nearly filled the length of the room, and was covered in fast food she assumed was Deans favorites. 

_Why am I here? What purpose do I play in stopping the Apocalypse? _

The familiar flutter of wings made her heart sink as both she and Dean turned around to face the person they belonged to.

"Hello Cleo. Hello Dean. It's almost time." 

Castiel had finally returned to her. 

*** 

She was tempted to make a joke about how all of Deans fantasies somehow ended up having burgers and beer in them when an angel she had never seen before appeared in front of Castiel. Given the cold, stoic expression he wore Cleopatra figured it was the superior who had been assigned to him. 

"Now, aren't _you _a sight for sore eyes?'' He mused. "I don't believe we've met yet. My name is Zachariah." He extended his hand in greeting and frowned when she only stared at it in response, fingers dancing against her hip as she ached to pull out her angel blade. "Seemingly not a friendly person, so I'll keep that in mind. But I've heard quite a bit about you, Cleopatra Carter. Seems as if you and Castiel have become good friends." 

_That's one way to put it. _

Her nostrils flared as Cleopatra and Castiel met one anothers gaze, oblivious to Zachariah dancing around her to further regard Dean. "Well, how about this? The Suite Life of Zac and Cas?" The two angels stared at him, obviously confused, before Dean had decided the joke had died. "Never mind. Where are we?" 

"Call it a green-room. Needed to keep you safe until show time." The angel Dean had called Zach extended his hand and picked up one of the burgers that piled on the silver platter. "Have a burger, they're your favorite. From the seaside shack in Delaware, I think?" 

"I'm not hungry."

"No?" Zach questioned. "Okay. How about Ginger from Season 2 of Gilligans Island? You have a thing for her, don't you?" 

Cleopatra snorted rather loudly at how pathetic the offers that the angels were making Dean were. Apparently bartering off food, booze and women was the way to recruit an Archangels vessel into the impending end of the world. "Tempting. Weird, but no." Dean replied. "Let's bail on the holo-deck, okay? I want to know what the game plan is." 

Zach straightened his shoulders and folded his hands behind his back. "You let us worry about that. In the meantime, I do have a question for you." The angel turned back around and pointed to the woman behind him, who was still staring at Castiel with such a look of rage that it made Dean quake in his shoes just to gaze at her. "Why have you pulled this girl, a _Nephilim_, into stopping the end of the world with you?" 

"That's none of your business-" 

"Woah!" Cleopatra shouted, hands raised in surrender on either side of her head. "I can talk for myself, thank you _very _much. Now.. to you, oh angel who I don't know, Dean did not recruit me to stop the beginning of the end. I _chose _to be here. You don't have to tell me what you angelic imbeciles are already thinking.. I'm an abomination, a curse that deserves to be wiped out.. blah, blah. I know I have no point to this. Once you hear something enough, you start to believe it. What I want to know, however, is why you're keeping so many secrets!" 

"Dean, we want you to be calm. Focused." 

"I'm about to be pissed and leaving with _my _Nephilim, so start talking Chuckles!" 

Zachariah pulled his bottom lip between his teeth and frowned upon realizing that he'd now have to disclose sensitive information about what was happening. "All the Seals have fallen except one." He said. 

"Wow! That's an impressive score. Almost better then the Washington Generals." Dean replied smoothly. Zachariah turned back around with raised brows, almost stunned at the sarcasm that dripped from the mouth of the older Winchester. 

"You think sarcasm is appropriate, do you? You know, considering you're the one who started all of this.. The final Seal, however, will be different." 

Cleopatra and Dean answered simultaneously, "Why?" 

"Lillith has to be the one to break it. She's the only one who can." Zachariah said. "Tomorrow night at midnight is when it all happens." 

"Where does it all go down?" Cleopatra asked. She desperately tried to focus her attention on Zachariah, but no matter how hard she attempted to do so, she couldn't shake Castiels penetrating gaze that lingered on her. Almost as if he wanted to convey his apology with his eyes because he had no idea how to do it with his lips. 

"We're working on that." 

"Then work harder!" Dean exclaimed. "If I'm supposed to be the one who stops her, how? With the knife? Cause last I heard, Nephilim were powerful enough to wipe out the entire planet. Maybe that's why Cleopatra is here." His gaze shifted to the woman across from him, her lips slightly parted as dark locks fell into her face, chest heaving as they locked eyes with one another. "To be the power I need to end it." 

_Power. _That was a word she'd never used to describe herself. She was _powerful _enough to rip the planet apart when she was angry. _Powerful _enough to stop Satan from escaping his cage. _Powerful _enough for there to be no possible way of killing a Nephilim. 

How tragic it is when you're forced to watch everyone live out their lives around you, from birth to ash, and are hopeless to do nothing. The world keeps on turning, and you keep on moving with it. 

_"_All in good time." Zachariah said calmly. "Have faith." 

"In what? In you?" Dean remarked skeptically. "Give me one good reason why I should." Zachariahs expression became shockingly cold as he stepped up to Dean so the two of them were eye to eye. Cleopatra stood against the wall with her arms crossed over her chest, keenly watching the entire altercation to be sure that no one was stepping out of line. Just the very sight of an angel who had changed Castiel in such a way that he no longer wished to be around her repulsed her. 

"Because you swore to obey." He replied lowly, venom dripping from his words. _"So obey." _

_***_

"I'm gonna punch him." Dean turned from his fifteenth lap around the room to where Cleopatra was perched on the table, rocking on her haunches as she threw another beer bottle across the room and watched it disappear the moment it came in contact with the floor. "When Cas comes back, I'm going to punch him in his pretty face and make him regret ever pushing me away." 

"I'll support you a hundred percent, kid. Man needs a reality check." The two of them casually bumped fists as Cleopatra took a swig of her own beer bottle, wincing at the acrid taste as it traveled down her throat. "Never thought I'd see the day where you'd be willing enough to drink an entire beer by yourself." 

The Nephilim merely shrugged. "There's a first time for everything." 

Before Dean could continue his question, the familiar fluttering of wings caused him turn around to acknowledge Castiels presence. Cleopatra remained rooted in her spot, eyes fixated on the doorway in front of her as her finger traced the neck of her bottle. "Dean, you asked to see me?" He asked quietly, cobalt eyes flickering to the woman behind him. "As did you, Cleopatra." 

"I asked to see you for one reason, _angel._" Dean whistled in disbelief as Cleopatra lunged off the table, balancing her jump off of the tips of her boots as she threw her entire body weight into Castiel. The two of them toppled over one another and directly onto the floor, unexpectedly sprawled over each other. It took all of Deans self control to not burst into hysterical laughter, or yell _"Get some Cleo!_" when Cleopatra propped herself up on her elbow and realized her face was only inches from Castiels. She could pick out each individual speck of color that lingered in the depths of those cobalts she adored.

And then she drove her fist into his nose.

_Punch._

"Stop pushing me away, Cas. What happened to you?"

The most baffling part? He didn't make an effort to stop her. He took every punch as it came despite the pain that radiated through his vessels body, both at the betrayal in her expression and the crush of each blow she delivered.

Do you not remember what you said to me in the shed?" 

Oh, how he _did _remember. He remembered every minuscule detail about that particular conversation. The way she gazed at him against the sunlight of the window, the gentle waves of her hair that sloped down her shoulders and met at the middle of her back, the flicker of tawny gold lingering behind the piercing sea foam green that always seemed to stare right through him. 

She was beautiful, and he was planning to tell her that night in her memories. But plans had changed - and so once again, Heaven had screwed him out of any chance of surreal happiness. 

"You told me to wait for you, angel." Cleopatra murmured softly, allowing her head to fall just beside his ear. "So that's exactly what I'm going to do. I'll be here waiting for you until the world falls down, and everything is reduced to dust." She felt his breathing stutter beneath his fingers, and for a fraction of a moment before Dean awkwardly cleared his throat, she was tempted to read his mind to see what he was really thinking.

"Hate to break up, whatever this is." Dean gestured to the two of them as he helped to hoist Cleopatra to her feet. "But Cas, I did call you here because I need something."

Castiel swallowed thickly and adjusted himself in the confines of his suit, his trenchcoat seemingly feeling as if it weighed ten times more pounds then normal as he bobbed his head. "Anything." 

"I need you to take me to see Sam." 

Almost immediately did he disagree by swiveling his head back and forth in a fluid execution of _i-meant-anything-other-then-that-you-idiot. _"I don't think that's wise, Dean." He chided. Dean set his jaw as he took another step closer to the Seraph so that way they were eye to eye. "Have you forgotten what happened the last time you met?" 

"No, that's the whole _point._" Dean replied. "Listen, I'm going to do whatever you mooks want. Okay? I just need to tie up this one thing. Five minutes. That's all I need." 

"No." 

That caught her attention. Given the closely knitted relationship that Dean had formed with Castiel, Cleopatra had at least somewhat expected him to allow Dean the opportunity to bring Sam back from the brink. She pitied the fool who met her hand when she found out who had converted him back to the angel she'd met in Lawrence. The one who didn't care so much about two humans and a Nephilim.

"_What do you mean no?" _Deans voice wavered between calm and on the verge of snapping at Cas. "So what, am I supposed to be trapped here then?" 

"You can go wherever you want, Dean-" 

"Super!" Dean exclaimed. "I want to go see Sam!" When Castiel once again demanded that he stay put. the elder Winchester turned towards the door they'd entered hours previously and found it had disappeared, only to be replaced by another wall. When he turned back around, Castiel was gone, and Cleopatra was once again perched on the table with another beer bottle in her hand.

"I'm leaving." She said firmly. Deans eyes widened as he whipped around to face his friend, who was now spread shoulder length apart in the middle of the room with her hands outstretched to each opposing wall. "I play no purpose here, Dean. The angels have been after me since birth, and I'm not about to sign my death warrant. C'mere. I'll take you to see Sam." 

_Splendid. _Dean trekked over to stand behind Cleopatra, curling his fingers around her shoulders as she intently focused on the room. If they had truly done their research on Earth's last living Nephilim, they would have put up a type of warding to keep her confined inside beforehand-

"Wouldn't do that, darling." Zachariah chided. ''We have this entire room warded to keep _you _in so you don't make a mess out there. Can't have the most powerful being on Earth being another catalyst for the end of the world!" The angel froze when he was met with two deadly tawny gold eyes, fueled by anger over Heavens death grip on her life. 

"I'm not your _darling, _you pathetic sack of meat." She snarled lowly as her lips curled back and her teeth bared. "I can scatter you across the Cosmos with a snap of my fingers, and don't think I won't do it. You've been less then friendly to these boys, and it's just about time that you receive your punishment." 

"What?" He guffawed. "Are _you _going to be the one to kill me? Or are you going to let Deano over here do it? Finally gonna embrace your inner darkness, are you.. Abomination?" 

Her eyes flickered down to the sheath attached to her thigh as she ran the pads of her fingers along the Enochian Runes etched into the hilt. The blade itself had been a gift from her father as well, an item to signify who she would become in the future. Cleopatra gazed upon this blade in remembrance of those who she lost and those who had yet to come. If anyone deserved to be on the receiving end, it was the angel who played a key role in whatever turned Castiel back into a soldier. 

"We'll see what God has in store for you, Zachariah. Dying at the hands of a Nephilim," She unclipped the sheath and pulled out the angel blade, pointing it in Deans direction as he glowered intently at the angel. "Or allowing this human, one you have done nothing but lie to, be the one to jam this sacred blade into your heart?"

_This is for you, Castiel. _

==================================================

I know this chapter was boring, and I apologize. The end of Season 4 is probably my least favorite part of the entire show besides s1-3 (I liked them, but they aren't my favorite) so by the time we start Season 5, we're going to have alot of changes for Casopatra and Deopatra. Sam and Cleopatra will also begin to bond. 

This has been drafted for a good week and a half, so I haven't had much time to write. I apologize for that, but believe me.. I've got so much in store. _Just you wait. _


	19. Lucifer Rising: Part Two

_It's down you go,_

_We'll all enjoy the show_

_Can't wait to see you go _

_When your walls fall like Jericho _

\- _Jericho: Celldweller _

_\---------------------------------------------------------------_

It felt like an eternity had passed since the two of them had been brought into the secluded room, and Cleopatra was growing anxious while Dean kept trying to phone Sam. She had downed three bottles of beer in the past hour, and the two burgers she had did _not _settle right in her stomach. 

"Angels are crap at choosing decent food." She muttered, buttoning her red plaid flannel in hopes that it would warm her up. "Have you been able to reach Sam quite yet?" The Nephilim paused as she saw Deans shoulders slump, a heavy sigh breaking past his lips as his head dipped towards his chest solemnly. 

"He's not going to." Castiels deep baritone sounded, drawing both of their attention towards him. "You can't reach him here, Dean. This is outside your coverage zone." Dean snapped his phone shut and straightened his shoulders, anger seeping its way into his expression. Cleopatra wagered that it wouldn't be long before he finally decided to lash out. 

"What are you going to do to Sam?" 

"Nothing." Cas replied softly. "He's going to do it to himself." 

Cleopatra jumped off of the table and pushed her hair from her eyes, interest now piqued at exactly what Castiel meant about Sam. "What does that mean, Cas?" She questioned, frowning when the angel averted her gaze to glance at the floor. She could tell that he was ashamed of himself for finally succumbing to the dictatorship that the angels ran in Heaven since the disappearance of God. Castiel just wanted to be an angel, and that had been snatched from him because of his deeply rooted love for humans. "Why are you _here, _Castiel?" 

"Because you and I have been through a great deal since we met, Cleopatra." He said quietly. "As have I with Dean. You both mean a great deal to me and I just wanted to say I'm sorry it ended like this." 

Her heart jumped into her throat at his choice of word. _Ended. That it **ended **like this. _

"Why do we have to end?" She whispered, tears pooling in her eyes as she lifted her chin to gaze into Castiels. His frown deepened when he realized she was on the verge of tears because of him, and he cursed himself for once again hurting her. "We haven't even started yet, angel." 

It was a good thing Dean decided to interject his own opinion, because she was truly at a loss for words.

"_Sorry?" _Dean uttered mockingly, before he threw his fist into Castiels jaw. Cleopatra covered her mouth to avoid laughing as what sounded like a rock colliding with metal echoed in the air, and the elder Winchester turned back towards her with an incredibly pained expression as he clutched his throbbing hand. "This is Armageddon, Cas! You need a bigger word then sorry!"

"Try to understand, this is long foretold. This is your-" 

"Destiny?" Dean snapped. "Don't give me that holy crap. Destiny, God's plan.. It's all a bunch of lies your poor stupid son of a-" His sentence was cut off when a pale hand came out to wrap around his wrist, halting him from saying the wrong thing. "It's all just a bunch of lies from your bosses to keep you and I in line!" 

Cleopatra deeply inhaled through her nose as the words she needed to say rang out clear as day in her mind. If Cas was going to come to his senses about this, she was going to have to be the one who said them. "Castiel, do you want to know what's real?" She asked. "People, _families, _that is what's real. And you plan on watching them all burn?"

She rolled her shoulders back as Castiels eyes darkened and his nostrils flared angrily, taking another step closer to close the gap between himself and Dean. "What is so worth saving?" He replied bitterly. "I see nothing but pain here!" Cleopatra extended her hand to tenderly brush her fingers with Cas', noticing how his body language softened at the contact while she guided his hand to her chest.

"I won't disagree with you, but there's alot more then just pain here. There's joy, anger, sadness, _love. _Human beings are flawed Castiel. We find others that keep our hearts beating, people to hold on to when things get tough.. people who give us a reason to get up in the morning-" 

"I see inside you. _Both _of you. I see your guilt, your anger, your confusion.. In paradise, all is forgiven. You'll be at peace, even with Sam." His flaming blue irises shifted down to meet her own. "And hopefully, you will at peace with me." Whatever was fueling her at that moment in time dissipated as Cas took her hand in his own and brushed his thumb over her palm, laying a feather light kiss thereupon. "I'm sorry." 

Her heart sank as she realized her greatest fear had just come true. 

She lost Castiel. 

*** 

"Help him." Cleopatra demanded, extending her hand and rotating her wrist inward so Castiel was now facing her. "I will make my peace with the fact that I lost you, and you lost me. If you're going to do _anything _to prove to me that the angel I met in Lawrence is still in there, you get off the bench and help Dean!" 

Castiel pressed his lips into a hard line as he fought against the Nephilims hold, his vessels heart thumping hard against his ribcage, almost as if it were trying to break free of his body to land directly in her hand. "What would you two have me do?" He asked. 

"Get me to Sam!" Dean exclaimed. "We can stop this before it's too late!" 

Castiel vigorously shook his head. "If I do that, we will _all _be hunted! We will all be killed!" 

The Seraph gasped when the vice around his vessel tightened, and tears pricked the corners of his eyes as it suddenly became difficult to breathe. He felt himself turn towards Cleopatra, arms pinned at his sides as the woman in front of him contemplated ending his prolonged existence right there. She could've.. very easily. 

But she didn't. 

"I-I am so disgusted at what they turned you into." She spat. "You are the only good thing I have ever had in my life. The most beautiful artistry amidst a room of blank canvases. _You _are the man I was set aside to marry someday, and we are off to a terrible start." Cas swallowed thickly as Cleopatra stepped towards him and tilted her chin upward to sweep her gaze over his face. "I know you. We have _seen _one anothers souls, and I know that deep down in that enormous heart of yours that you don't actually want to do this. You care about the Winchester brothers, and you care about me. So stop cowering in your fear and help us prevent the end of the world, regardless of the fact that we'd be hunted because of it. I've been hunted my whole life, and I'm not about to stop now." 

Dean was sure that she'd broken through his barrier, but he was sorely disappointed to find Castiel still shaking his head even after Cleopatra released him. "Why do you care about dying?" Dean growled. "Seems to me that you're already dead." 

"Dean-" 

"No. Just get out of here." 

An tense silence filled the room as Cas locked eyes with Cleopatra one final time before disappearing in a flurry of wings. 

Just as Dean had been before Cas had come back again, Cleopatra carded her fingers through her hair and began to pace the length of the room. All this time she had been sick with worry over what the angels had done to Castiel when he'd been ripped from Jimmy Novak, and he had only come to confirm her worst fear. He no longer was interested in pursuing a relationship with his soulmate. 

Her wings were an entirely different story. It seemed as if every time Castiel was in proximity, their arch strengthened and curled outward as if they were calling to his own wings. They ached to wrap around him, to pull him into her embrace and remained safely hidden away in the shroud of gold and white feathers for the rest of eternity. 

Her grace thrummed against her veins, a soothing feeling pulsing through her body as she came to a stop and allowed herself to fully feel the weight of all that was happening. If they didn't get to Sam in time, he was certain to unlock the Devil from his cage and set him free upon the Earth. That was an Earth she did not want to take part of. 

Just as Dean moved for another burger, two hands wrapped firmly around his shoulders and pushed him into the wall. He stiffened in his captors hold until his eyes locked with Castiels firm gaze, a nod of understand passing between them. The Seraph removed the demon blade from his coat and brought the sharp edge against his wrist, slicing outward to unleash a stream of blood for what she only assumed was a banishing sigil. 

"Castiel?!" Zachariah boomed to make his presence known as he stormed across the room. "What do you think you're doing?" Cas slammed his hand against the sigil and watched as Zachariah vanished in a haze of bright white light. 

"He won't be gone long. We have to find Sam. _Now." _

She was still gaping when Dean tugged her towards him, oblivious to the distaste that passed over the Seraphs blue eyes as he handed him the demon blade. "Where is he?" 

"I don't know. But I know who does." Cas replied. "We have to stop him Dean, from killing Lillith-" 

"But I thought Lillith was meant to break the final seal?" Cleopatra inquired. 

"Lillith is the final seal! If she dies, the end begins." 

***

She wasn't surprised when Cas transported them to the dingy living room of Chuck Shurleys house. While the writer was baffled as to why they had showed up, she had no idea. Nothing in their lives ever made any sort of remote sense. 

"You three aren't even supposed to be in this story!" Chuck exclaimed. Cleopatra glanced between Castiel and Dean before allowing her gaze to settle back on Chuck, her arms crossed over her chest. 

"Yeah. we're basically making it up as we go." Cas replied calmly. Before Chuck could even begin to form a coherent response, the lights in the house began to flicker and the computer screen stalled as a brilliant light shone through the windowpane. All four of them froze as the ground trembled violently at their feet. 

"Aw man," Chuck whined. "_Not again!" _

"It's the Archangel!" Castiel bellowed. "I'll hold them off, I'll hold them all off! Just stop Sam!" The Seraph forced his palm against Deans head, and before she could blink, the older Winchester was gone. He turned his head to gaze at the Nephilim beside him and extended his hand - a call to unite together in order to hold off the Archangels looking to unleash their wrath. 

_Take my hand. _

Despite the anger she held towards Castiel, Cleopatra Carter unsheathed her angel blade from the sheath attached to her thigh and smiled as they turned towards the window, hands clasped, to fight off the warriors of Heaven.

Saint Mary's Convent 

Dean knew the minute he locked eyes with Ruby that they were royally screwed. He wished Sam had listened to him about her. Listened to Cleopatra about demonic manipulation. She would know as well as he did. 

The dark haired demon smiled wickedly as she extended her hand and watched the doors slam behind her. He sprinted down the hall and threw himself into the door in hopes that it would shudder under his weight, but to no such luck. 

"_Sam!" _He yelled, pounding his hands against the door. Keep calling. Don't give up. If he hears it... He will come. "_Sammy! SAM!" _

Sam slowly lowered his hand at the panic in his brothers voice, pausing in the middle of incapacitating Lillith to turn towards the door. His brow furrowed as everything seemed to be moving in slow motion, slurring Rubys words together as she screamed relentlessly for him to finish it. 

It came in a murmur. An unsure, timid, terrified murmur that he truly did not know the repercussions of what he was about to do. His heart pounded against his sternum as he spoke. 

"Dean?" He vaguely remembered the spark that signified the end of Lilliths life as she fell to the floor in a heap and blood began to pool beneath her head. There was an uneasy silence that settled into the room as Dean scrambled to find a way to break through the door. "Ruby? What's going on?" 

"I can't believe you did it." She whispered. "It was a little touch and go there for a while, but you _did it." _

_"_Did what?!" Sam exclaimed. "What did I do?" 

His heart lurched as they locked eyes, and part of him knew that he had done exactly what she had wanted him to do all of this time. "You opened the door." She replied. Horror filled his features as Lillith's blood continued to trail on the floor into what resembled that of a crown composed of thorns. "You opened the door, and now he's finally free."

"No-No! I-I stopped Lillith, I killed her!" 

"And so it is written that the first demon shall be the final seal." Ruby recited. "And you busted her open, so guess who's coming to dinner?" Sam gasped as his chest slowly began to constrict, restricting his ability to properly breathe as he threaded his fingers through his hair. 

"Oh-Oh _God-" _

"Nope. Guess again!" Ruby paused before continuing. "You don't even know how hard this was! All the demons out for my head.. and I was sure for a while that you were finally gonna start listening to Cleopatra about how I was manipulating you. You should have." Her gaze darkened as Sams thoughts shifted to the Nephilim, who had blatantly told him multiple times that this would be the outcome of his alliance with Ruby. "No one knew! I was the _best! _The most loyal, and not even Alistair knew! Only Lillith." 

He was gonna kill her. 

"I'm sure you're a little angry right now, but c'mon Sam! Even you have to admit, I-I'm awesome!"

Sam fell back onto the stone steps as his chest heaved, hazel eyes flaming with rage and shame as he pointedly replied, "The blood. You poisoned me!" 

"No. There was no poison in the blood. It was _you _and your choices. I just gave you the options and you chose the right path every time. You didn't need the feather to fly. You had it in you the whole time, Dumbo." Tears pooled his eyes as he forced them to remain open so a stray tear would not make its way down his cheek. "I know you don't see it now, but this is a miracle! So long coming. Everything Azazel did, and Lillith.. it all lead to this moment. You were the only one who could do it." 

"Why?" He murmured, afraid that if he were to talk any louder his voice would break. "Why-Why me?" Rubys gaze softened as she allowed herself to caress the sides of his face with the pads of her thumbs. 

"Because it had to be you Sammy." She whispered in response. "It always had to be you. You saved us. You set him free, and he's going to be so grateful! He's going to repay you in ways that you can't even imagine-" 

Everything moved in slow motion the second that Dean broke through the door, hands wrapped firmly around what seemed to be a weighted candlestick. It clattered to the ground as he surged forward, giving Sam just enough time to wrap his arms through hers and Dean the ability to plunge the demon blade into her stomach. 

Guilt flooded Deans face as the two brothers met eyes, and he could clearly see the regret lingering in Sams expression. "Dean, I'm _sorry." _He said. His lips quivered as Dean wrapped his hand around his shoulder and squeezed reassuringly, a sign of forgiveness. 

The ring of blood had taken the shape of a portal, and a brilliant light flooded the middle as the two brothers tightened their hold on one another. 

_This is only going to go downhill from here. There is no escaping the inevitable. Dean Winchester will attempt to save the world._

_"_Dean,"

_Sam Winchester will break it. _

"He's coming." 

_And Lucifer is finally free. _


	20. Michael's Sword

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys like this fic because it's currently the only way I'm coping with what just happened on Supernatural.

**[_This chapter will features both Castiel and Cleopatra, and Dean and Sam. Most of the normal print font is Cleopatra and Cas, and italics is Sam and Dean. Pay attention to when this changes.]_**

**[ S y m p a t h y f o r T h e D e v i l] **

_A brilliant light. The awe on Castiels face as he watched his soulmate obliterate over a dozen of the Heavenly Host with nothing more then a simple flick of her wrist or snap of her fingers. The pain that radiated through her wings. Darkness._

She was sure she was dead when Castiel was no longer holding her hand. 

Whenever she and Reagan were children, their father had made a point to clue them in about Heaven. Given that they were both doomed to be hunted for the rest of their lives, he had simply wanted them to be prepared to expect the fiercest types of warriors - especially if you were coming face to face with an Archangel. 

Her eyes slowly opened to the stunning blues of a cloudless sky, fire searing through her wings as she winced while sitting up at the waist. They seemed to be in some sort of a garden; Rows of tulips, lillies, roses, and sunflowers all meticulously planted in clumps around the treeline that surrounded the clearing. 

"_Gods-_" Cleopatra cried as her wings curled around her body, instinctively shielding her from the dangers that lie outside them. "What-What happened?"

"I wouldn't move if I were you." A deep baritone replied. Her eyes flickered between their stunning blue-green to threatening gold when the tip of a blade held by a strong hand came to rest against her neck. "You try anything, _Nephilim.. _and I'll be personally killing Castiel myself. You don't want that to happen, do you?" 

Her gaze slowly shifted to several feet away, where a smaller group of elite angels were encircling Castiel. Cleopatra growled when the tallest one, a broad blonde with striking grey eyes and cupids bow lips, threw his fist into his nose and listened to the bone crunch beneath his hand. Her stomach twisted when he turned his head a fraction of an inch to meet her gaze, and her heart sank. 

His perfect, unmarred skin was covered in blood. 

His lips seemed to be struggling to mouth her name. 

"Are you going to kill both of us?" Cleopatra inquired as she gazed back up to her captor, none other then Michael the Archangel. If Gabriel still resided in Heaven, he would've beaten his elder brother stupid for touching his Sunflower at all. "And here I was under the impression that I was already dead. You heavenly host have spent far too much of your time trying to kill me anyway."

"Castiel might as well be dead. We're going to punish him severely.. and then we'll kill you. It has been a long time coming and I would like to take pleasure in it." Michael knelt down and turned his head a fraction to look her in the eye, further pressing the blade into her skin. It wasn't enough to hurt her, but enough to make it uncomfortable. "I should've known that you'd be the one to have a soulmate. Should have known when we buried your father. It's always the ones who rebel who are doomed from the start." 

The longer she watched the angels beat Castiel half to death, the more she had to resist the urge to cry out his name and crawl towards him to hold his body in her arms. But instead of succumbing to the emotions building up in her, she set her jaw and jumped to her feet only to whirl around and extend her hand towards Michael as he was thrown across the lawn. 

"What do you think you're _doing?" _

"Sending you away." Cleopatra retorted. "You see, because I'm an abomination.. It gave me this magnificent set of powers I can never use on Earth because I happen to value the lives of innocents. But in Heaven?" Her smile turned sadistic as she lifted her hands towards the sky. "I can decimate all the angels I so well please, especially the ones who hurt Cas. So-" She snapped her fingers and watched as Michael vanished into thin air. "Be gone." 

Castiel gasped as he was released from his brothers hold and fell flat on his back, left to do nothing but watch as Cleopatra completely obliterated the angels who had wounded him. He took that moment to watch the finesse of the way she moved - from every slash, to every stab, to the furious power that resided in her wings when she threw someone backwards. She was a hurricane that had just been waiting to be unleashed. It was not hard to notice the fury that lingered in her expression as she terminated his brothers and sisters.

Gentle fingers prodded at his torso as the petrified screams of the dying were silenced and he was greeted by the most beautiful pair of eyes he'd ever seen. Describing the magnificence that lurks in the eyes of the Nephilim is difficult, because it is simply unlike anything any human has ever seen with their own two eyes. The power that lurks behind them is incomprehensible. 

That's why he loves them - because they are uniquely _her. _

"Why am I always savin' you, angel?" 

***

_After getting off of the plane that had somehow materialized on, Dean and Sam found themselves on the runway of an airport in Baltimore. They had no idea who had put them on the plane, but given that they'd just raised Lucifer, they both assumed that it was the angels to place them there. _

_They immediately beelined for Chuck Shurleys house, praying that the Prophet would be able to provide some answers for what had happened to Castiel and Cleopatra. The front door was ajar when the Impala pulled into the driveway, the remnants of debris scattered along the front hallway and the kitchen. Dean crept over the broken table and into the living room where Chuck normally spent most of his time writing. _

_He barely noticed Chuck lunge at Sam from the opposite hall, wielding a heavy weapon as he slammed it into his head. "Geez!" Sam cried as his fingers moved to prod at the ache in his head. "Ow!" Chuck Shurley gazed upon the Winchesters in disbelief as his weapon clattered to the ground. _

_"Sam." He breathed in disbelief. "Dean. You guys are okay!" _

_Sam huffed irritably and managed a nod. "Yeah. well my head hurts-"_

_"No." Chuck interjected. "I mean-- I mean, my-- my last vision. You went like, full on Vader! Your body temperature was 150, your heart rate was 200. Your eyes were black!" Deans face fell at the confession as his piercing emerald green eyes flickered to Sam, who turned towards him with an expression of guilt. _

_He clearly hadn't meant for him to know it. _

_"Your eyes went black?" _

_"I-I didn't know." _

_Choosing to bring it up at a later time, Dean turned back towards Chuck, aiming to ask the one question that had been bugging him since he'd left his two angels in the company of the Prophet. "Where's Cas and Cleo?" Chuck frowned as a pair of shocked gold eyes flashed behind his closed eyelids, followed by pained screams and a flash of white before they were taken from him. _

_"They're dead, or gone. One of the two. The Archangel smote the crap out of him. And Cleo.. They knew they couldn't kill a Nephilim, so they settled on torturing her the easiest way they knew how. Mutilating her wings." Chuck said. "I didn't see all of it, but I know. She was.. ridiculously brave. I would've started begging for mercy at that point."_

_"Are you sure?" Dean questioned. "Maybe Cas just vanished into the light or something. There's no way he's gonna let the angels take Cleopatra that easily. Dude would've put up a fight first." _

_"I'm sure. I watched him.. explode. Like a water balloon of chunky soup." _

_That was what Castiel had lead Chuck to believe because he didn't want him to know the truth. Once the Archangel obtained him and the Nephilim, they were in for a far worse death then anything that could happen on Earth. He had put the image into Chucks mind to spare him the memory of seeing them both die. _

_"Cas, you idiot." Dean muttered. "You stupid.. stupid idiot." _

_"Stupid?" Sam replied. "You are aware that he and Cleopatra were trying to help us, right? She decided to stay here and face the people who have been hunting her literally her entire life. It's not stupidity. It's bravery." _

"_So what do we do now?" _

_Chuck frowned as what sounded like whispers began filtering into his mind, and he mentally cursed whoever had put him on the angels radar and connected him to angel radio. "Awe crap." He muttered. "I can feel them." _

_''I thought we'd find you here!" When the Winchesters turned around, they surely weren't expecting to see Zachariah standing in the kitchen, let alone Cleopatra kneeling on the floor while he tightly gripped what they could only assume was her wings. "Would you like your Nephilim back?" _

_***_

Cleopatra was about three seconds away from a full blown panic attack. 

She had known during her time in Heaven that they had done something to her wings in the midst of the altercation between herself, Castiel and the angels, but hadn't let herself feel the pain until Zachariah had wrenched her away from Castiel and decided to teleport to Chuck Shurley's home where he believed Sam and Dean to be. 

Her wings were definitely injured. Whatever they had poured on her, it felt like her entire body was on fire. There was no way she'd be able to put up a fight. 

"Dean-_Dean-_" Zachariah chided, smirking as he tightened his grip on her right wing and cherished the way she screamed. "Playtime is over now. You and your brother wouldn't want me to hurt your weapon even further now, would you?" The Nephilim arched her back and dug the pads of her fingers into the floor, grimacing as pain seared through her entire being. She could not remember a time where she had been in such physical pain. 

"Let her go, right now." Dean demanded. The sight of such a powerful woman curled in on herself, nearly on the verge of tears and desperately in need of medical attention made his stomach twist into knots. He had never wanted this for her. Never wanted to see her in such excruciating pain. "Or believe me-" 

"Well, I can see you're upset." Zachariah replied. "I'll just ease the tension here and give her back to you-" With a quick snap of his fingers, Zachariah placed Cleopatra into the strong confines of Sam Winchesters arms, where she allowed herself to completely succumb and slump against his torso. 

"Yeah, I'm a bit upset. You idiots killed or did God knows what to Cas, hurt my best friend, and you jump started Judgement Day!" 

Zachariah held up a pointed finger and shook his head. "Maybe we _let _it happen." He corrected. "I'll have you know, we didn't _start _anything. Right Sammy?" Dean clenched his jaw when the angel cast a subtle wink at his younger brother, who was now tightly clutching the unconscious Nephilim in his arms. "You had the chance to save your brother, and you couldn't. You let the one woman who could forcibly stop him stay behind with Castiel. So let's not quibble over who started what. Let's just say it was all our faults and move on! Like it or not.. It's Apocalypse now, and we're all back on the same team again." 

Dean snorted indignantly at such a preposterous remark. "Oh?" He quipped, lips quirked upward in a disbelieving smirk. "Is that so?" 

"You want to kill the Devil, and we want you to kill the Devil. Haven't you figured out why we let her live?" Zachariah replied as he jabbed a bony digit towards Cleopatra. "We thought she'd play a bigger part in keeping Lucifer in the cage, but _this _is her time to shine. She's the only thing that can kill Lucifer without a struggle. It's synergy." 

"What, and I'm just supposed to trust you?" Dean asked. ''Cram it with walnuts, ugly." 

Zachariah marveled at how completely oblivious these humans were to the problem at hand. Lucifer was free. He was going to find a vessel, and then the fight of the century between himself and Michael would take place. There was no stopping the inevitable. Not this time.

"This isn't a game son. Lucifer is powerful in ways that defy description. We need to strike now, hard and fast, before he finds his vessel." 

Interest now piqued, Sam took the opportunity to speak up. "His vessel?" He queried. "Lucifer needs a meat suit?" 

"He is an angel. Them's the rules." Zachariah replied amusingly. "And when he touches down, we're talking Four Horsemen, fiery skies.. the greatest hits. You can stop him Dean. You and Cleopatra can, but you're going to need our help." Dean glanced over his shoulder to the stirring woman in his brothers arms, tenderly lifting his hand to brush a strand of hair from her face. 

If he could see her wings and the damage the angels had caused, Dean was sure he would've done everything in his power to make them pay for hurting Cleopatra. She had already been through too much suffering -- some of which was done by his own hand, 

Enough was enough. 

"Listen to me you two faced douche--" Dean snapped, bitterness carrying in his tone as he turned back around to face Zachariah. "After what you did, especially to her, I don't want jack _squat _from you!" 

"You listen to me, boy!" Zachariah growled in retaliation. "You think you can rebel against us?! As Lucifer did..." His darkened gaze fell to Deans fist that hung limply at his side where blood was beginning to drip aimlessly through his fingers. "You're bleeding." 

"Oh yeah. A little insurance policy in case you pricks showed up." Dean whipped around and pulled open the kitchen door, revealing the angel banishing sigil as he slammed his palm against the wood. By the time the haze of bright white light had faded, the four of them were once again alone. "Learned that from my friend Cas." 

***

_Castiel was infuriated that they had managed to snatch his Nephilim from him, let alone that they had harmed her and he'd been clueless to notice it. He'd left Heaven without question and descended to Earth, fervently thanking his Father that he had yet to put the Enochian Warding sigils on her ribs. _

_"Forgive my intrusion, Chuck." He murmured, materializing in the semi-organized living room that Chuck had spent a good portion of a day working on putting back together. The Prophet was hovering over the unconscious woman on his sofa when he had arrived, dabbing at her face with a cool cloth from his bathroom. "Is she-" _

_"Dead? No, but I was sure you were." Chuck replied as he stepped back, allowing the Seraph to tend to her immediate injuries. "She's been unconscious for hours, Cas. Dean was sure she would wake up at some point today, but then he told me about how you two were soulmates and I started doing some research." _

_"What type of research?" _

_"The part where you can see one anothers wings." Chuck said as he intently watched Castiel tenderly lift Cleopatras body so she was sitting up at the waist against the sofa cushions. Her flesh remained warm beneath his fingers as he prodded at her exposed skin to ensure there were no other injuries besides the ones to her wings. "Can you heal them?" _

_"There is something different in Nephilim grace compared to my own. It flows the same way.. but hers is something altogether different. It is quite difficult to explain." The pads of his thumbs ran against the apples of her cheeks, hooded cobalt eyes scanning the delicate arch of pure white wings where the outer portion of her feathers were intricately designed in a stunning gold that nearly matched her eyes. "It will take time to heal her, and I need to get to Sam and Dean. But for now-" _

_A warm light erupted from beneath his palm as Castiel leaned in towards her body, his forehead softly pressing against her own as he began to murmur in Enochian. His grace traveled directly from his hands and into the expanse of her wings, causing Cleopatras eyes to snap open as she sharply inhaled the stale air of Chuck's living room. "C-Cas-" She whispered. Confused gold eyes flickered until they met his own-- only inches away from hers and intently focused on the task at hand. "What're you doing, angel?" _

_"I cannot heal you properly at this time, but I wanted to converge my grace with your own in order to wake you." He replied shyly. The two of them had never been in such close proximity of one another, minus the times she'd nearly fallen asleep on his shoulder. It was not hard to miss the frantic pattering of his heart when her eyes flickered down to his lips. "It should also heal some of the damage to your wings until I return."_

_Castiel stood to his feet_ _and moved to step towards the door, but the ghost of a whimper halted him in his tracks. _

_"Please don't go." She pleaded. He gazed around the vicinity and realized that somehow during the midst of their conversation, Chuck had left the room to give the two of them more privacy. "I-I need you. Please don't leave." _

_He sank to his knees and rested his hands against her shoulders, allowing them to ghost over the curves of her biceps and the inner part of her forearm before he laced their fingers together. Bringing their linked hands to his lips, Cleopatra could not help the smile that broke onto her face when he placed a kiss on each individual fingertip, eyes never tearing away from her own. _

_"I will not be long, sweetheart." Her heart skipped a beat as Castiel delicately turned her hands over in his own and laid a feather-light kiss on each palm. "Chuck has allowed you to remain while I assist Sam and Dean in New York. When I return.. We will see to mending your wings. Okay?" _

_Cleopatra nodded weakly and leaned back in his arms as he gently situated her on her side, one wing draped over her hip while the other remained loosely tucked under her. Castiel bent down and kissed the crown of her forehead, cupping her jaw with his free hand as his lips lingered, if only for a moment. _

_"S-Stay safe, Cas." _

She was already asleep by the time he was gone. 

***

By the time the brothers had decoded Chucks message, their journey brought them to the storage facility that their father had been renting previous to his death in New York. Dean stayed close to Sam, shotgun tucked against his chest as they surveyed the corpses that lay just inside the Devils Trap. 

"I see you told the demons where the sword is." Both brothers looked up only to find Zachariah, _again, _standing with two angels flanking his left and right side. "And to think, they could have grabbed it anytime they wanted. It was right in front of them this entire time!" 

Sams brow furrowed in confusion at his statement. What on Earth was the Michael sword? And more importantly.. why did the demons want it?

"What do you mean?" 

"We may have planted that particular piece of prophecy inside of Chucks skull, but it happen to be _true. _We did lose the Michael sword, we truly couldn't find it.. Until now. You just hand delivered it to us." He peered around Sams broad shoulders and frowned upon realizing Cleopatra had not accompanied them. "Where's the Nephilim?" 

"Healing from the crap you douchebags inflicted on her." Dean snapped defensively. "But, back to the topic at hand. We don't have anything, 'specially not some sword of Michael." 

Zachariah sighed -- _why did Father make humans so dense-- _and took a tentative step forward, hands folded behind his back. "It's you, Chucklehead. You're the Michael sword." 

Dean gazed at Zachariah with pure disbelief in his eyes. After everything he and Sam had been through since the night their mother died -- losing John, Dean's descent into Hell, Sam's internal battle against his own demons and Ruby, the rise of Lucifer... And now he was supposed to be Michaels vessel for an upcoming Armageddon? 

_You are only destined for destruction, darling. _

_And this is the beginning of your era -- An Era of Ash and Fire. _

***

_When Cleopatra woke, dawn was just beginning to filter through the windows, emitting a soft glow of deep reds and golds against the walls of the living room. Chuck was nowhere to be seen, the only sign that he'd even been around this morning being a note that he had attached to a bottle of Ibuprofen and a waterbottle. _

_ **Will be back later, supply run. ** _

_ **Don't have angel sex on my couch. ** _

_ **\- Chuck** _

_She blushed at the candid remark and sat up at the waist, grimacing as pain centered in her temples and began to numb the bottom of her skull at the base of her head. Trembling fingers wrapped around the bottle as she shook four pills into her hand and toyed with them beneath her fingers, scoffing before she slid them back inside. _

_"You would be better to let me heal your headache." A deep gravelly voice replied to her thoughts, drawing her gaze upward to lock with Castiels eyes. "I'm sure you could do it yourself, but you look as if you need more sleep. I can begin healing your wings again." _

_Cleopatra suppressed a smile when she felt her heart skip a beat, wiggling her eyebrows provocatively as Castiel knelt between her legs. "Chuck was very specific, angel." She whispered in his ear. "We're not supposed to have angel sex on this couch." Her grin widened when scarlet dusted the apples of his cheeks, causing him to bend his head so she didn't see the utter embarrassment in his expression. "Awe, Cassie gets embarrassed quite easily. That's adorable." _

_The Seraphim grumbled, though secretly ecstatic that her sweet, sarcastic side was beginning to show. It told him that she was comfortable enough in his presence to make such remarks. "I have never told you this before, but your wings.." His eyes widened when the wings beneath his hands instinctively rolled outward just as his own sprung to life, only to entwine with his. "They are.. stunningly beautiful." _

_That was the most heartfelt compliment he had given her since they met. _

_He pulled away just as the flesh beneath her mangled feathers sealed back together, his nimble fingers tenderly moving the misplaced feathers back into place. "Thank you. So are yours." Cleopatra replied timidly. Just as Castiel moved to stand, she reached outward and wrapped her fingers through his, gently linking them together and brushing her lips against the bridge of his knuckles. "What's going on with you? What's wrong?" _

_"I went to help Dean and Sam in New York." Castiel replied. "They encountered Zachariah again, and he finally told Dean what I was dreading him to know." _ _Cleopatra pursed her lips as he helped her to her feet, hand lingering at the small of her back as they locked eyes. "I guess it is time that I tell you too." _

_So for the next hour, she listens to Castiel weave a story about the Winchesters inevitable fate as the vessels of Heaven and Hell -- and her heart aches. Because after everything Sam and Dean had been through from their childhood to that point in time, had earned them nothing. They were still going to be tortured by the world, and no matter how many times they saved it.. _

_No one would be able to thank them for their bravery, and for their honor. _

"_You and I both have a part to play in the Winchester Gospels, Cleo. While they are writing their story about the men they will become.." Castiel positioned his index finger just underneath her chin and tilted it upward, allowing his fingers to gently wrap around the curve of her jaw. "You and I are writing our story across the stars." _


	21. New Mexico

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sad.

_ **Are you there God? ** _

** _This is your daughter who lost everything. _ **

_ **I still have faith in you, b** _ _ **ecause you sent me my future husband to** _ _ ** make up for those I lost. ** _

_ **Please.. if you love your son, show yourself to him. I'm afraid the loss of Castiel's father may ruin him in a way that is irreparable. ** _

_ **Sincerely your child, Cleopatra Carter ** _

\----------------------------------------------------

**[ good god ya'll ] **

[ good god this is **_long_**]

Her favorite part of attending church with her family was the joy her father found in the House of God, and the stained glass windows that adorned the south, west, and east walls of the church. The carpets of the sanctuary were deep red, accompanied by the pews that lined the length and width of the room. She had always been fascinated with the pictures, and so Josiah had taken the time to explain the events occurring in each one. 

"_That's your uncle Gabriel." Josiah murmured quietly into his daughters ear as he lightly squeezed her shoulder. "He's.. a strange individual, but he is my best of friends. If you ever are in need, pray to him. He will come." _

Cleopatra had never returned to that church, and neither had her mother. But it didn't mean she had ever stopped believing in God. He had a reason, a deeper lesson to teach, through the trials she and her mother had endured since the loss of her brother and father.

She had been faltering in her faith, teetering on the edge of giving up all together when Castiel had shown up in that park.

And now she stood in the doorway of Bobby Singers hospital room, scanning his hospital charts for the primary reason why they declared him paralyzed from the waist down. Dean and Sam stood in front of her, large enough to completely block Bobby from her view. Cleopatra wasn't the slightest bit surprised that the old man was bitter. She would be too, if a demon had taken away her ability to walk. 

"Enough foreplay!" Bobby spat. "Get over here and lay your hands on!" When the hunter was greeted with silence, he turned his wheelchair in the opposite direction of the window to face the two angels and two humans lingering just outside of his hospital room. "Get healing! _Now!_" 

"I can't-" Castiel confessed. "I'm cut off from Heaven and much of its power. There are certain things I can do, and certain things I can't. The only probable solution to your paralysis would be to let Cleopatra heal you, and she is not physically strong enough yet. Which reminds me-" Cleopatra inhaled sharply as Cas pressed his palm against her ribcage, sending a blistering pain from her head to the tips of her toes. "That's better." 

The Nephilim inhaled sharply to regain the air she had lost and instinctively leaned into Sam to steady her wavering form. "What-What did you just do to me, angel?" She rasped. "And did you have to do it right _now?" _

"Enochian warding sigil carved into your ribs, but yours is different to Sam and Deans. It'll hide you from the angels the way you have been most of your life, but this is a permanent solution. The only one who can find you easily is me." He replied casually. 

Deans lips quirked upward in a smirk as he half turned to Sam and murmured, "Well, at least he's talking now." 

"I heard that, ya idjit." Bobby retorted. Cleopatra rolled her shoulders back and readjusted the sheath that had loosened on her hip, hidden by the beige fabric of Castiels trench coat. 

"I don't have much time, we need to talk." Castiel inquired. Sam lifted his head to regard the angel and furrowed his brow as the four of them now stood eye-to-eye with one another. "Your plan to kill Lucifer-"

"Yeah," Dean interjected. "You two wanna help with that? Zachariah seemed to think Cleopatra could kill him with a flick of her friggin' pinky finger!" Pleased that the angel who had a hand in torturing her had convinced Sam and Dean that she could easily kill Satan, Cleopatra couldn't help the snort that broke past her lips. 

"No, it's _foolish. _Even with the power she possesses, it cannot be done-" Cleopatra loudly coughed into her elbow to gain the attention of the three men around her and pressed her hand into Cas' chest to silence his statement. 

"Excuse me?!"

"Let me rephrase that. I _won't _let you do it. You want to know why?" Castiel's voice dropped dangerously low as he clenched his fists at his sides. "I know what Lucifer can do, and I do not want to even imagine what he would do to a Nephilim. Much less one who is my soulmate. So let me make myself clear, Cleo. It's not that you can't, it's that you _won't. _I will not let him near you, and I most definitely will not let him hurt you. He'd face the fullest wrath of Heaven if he did."

Her heart soared at the newfound protective side of Castiel, one she had yet to fully see in person. If he was adamant that she did not take on Lucifer directly, it was because he was truly afraid of what the Devil would do to her. How he would influence her. 

_He's only ever had my best interests at heart. _

"Castiel, Lucifer can't hurt me. I'd know. My Uncle used to tell me this all of the time." She managed a warm smile and squeezed his hands gently. "You three need to get this into your ridiculously thick skulls." Cleopatra said. "I am more then capable of protecting myself. I was raised by an angel who wanted to be sure that that was the one thing I could do before he met his inevitable end. My uncle was an angel, and he taught me everything I know about Heaven and Hell. And I don't need three men to be my voice. I know my value." Sea foam irises flickered up to meet those of Dean Winchester across from her, who was grinning so widely she was sure his face would remain that way. 

"That's my girl." He whispered in reply. 

'But to continue what I was saying, if Cleopatra is not our answer.. I do believe that there is someone out there stronger then Michael who would be able to stop the Apocalypse and take on Lucifer." 

"And who is that?" 

"The one who put you two on that plane. The one who began everything." Soft, determined cobalt irises flickered between the two anticipating brothers before the Seraph. He had never even attempted to reach out to his Father, given that God had up and left his angels to fend for themselves months ago. Part of him was angered that he had never been able to praise the majesty of the Creator, but all of his anger was replaced with a pure devotion to the woman he would marry. 

"God. I'm going to find God," Castiel linked his fingers with Cleopatras and softly squeezed them, a subtle reassurance to himself that he was not alone in this endeavor. 

Dean, on the other hand, could not have been more perplexed. 

"God?" He replied incredulously. 

"Yes." 

"But seriously... _God?" _

"Yes! Dean, he isn't in Heaven, so it means that he has to be somewhere down here." Castiel remarked. Cleopatra crossed her arms over her chest and turned her head a fraction of an inch, waiting for the elder Winchester to make some sort of snide remark about a God he had never believed in to begin with. 

"Try New Mexico," Dean replied sarcastically. "I hear he's on a tortilla."

It took all of her self-control to not laugh at his remark, but when she saw the confusion on Castiels face, it only further prompted the laughter that broke past her lips. "No," He replied calmly. "I'm sure he's not on any flatbread." 

"Listen Chuckles, even if there _is _a God.." 

This was a new turn. She and Dean had never really held a heart to heart on the topic of religion, but given that he had been tortured endlessly in Hell, she wasn't surprised that he didn't believe in a God. Moreso disappointed then anything else. "Dean," Cleopatra said quietly. "I know that you don't believe in God-" 

"You didn't let me finish." Dean corrected. "If there is a God, he's either dead or up and kicking and literally just not caring any less." 

Cleopatra's gaze became cold as she planted her hands on her hips, taking a step closer to the elder Winchester just as her eyes flickered to a soft gold. Dean swallowed thickly when they met her own -- A pair of eyes born from grief and rage. The eyes that contained the power that had yet to be unleashed. 

"Dean Winchester, you may not have always believed in God." She recited. "But God has _always _believed in you." 

The solemn tone of her voice, how serious her expression had become, told Dean and Sam both that she was someone who knew the truth in her statement. It was that minuscule sliver of hope that someone greater then them had enough faith in them to stop the end of the world that would keep them going. That would give them the strength to press on. 

After a moment of locking those words of affirmation away in the back of his mind, Deans expression hardened as they were pulled back to the reality of the situation at hand. "I mean look around you man, we are literally at the end of days here!" He snapped. "And he's off somewhere drinking booze out of a coconut-" 

"Do you realize how stupid that sounds?" Cleopatra retorted. "God isn't going to be drinking _anything. _There's a reason why the Bible says to drink in a moderation-"

"_Enough_, both of you!" Castiel interjected firmly. Both of them fell silent as the Seraph examined his soulmate and the man he had rescued from Hell. "This isn't a theological issue. It's strategic. With God's help, we can win-" 

"Dean, you might want to stop provoking him." Cleopatra warned, standing on the tips of her combat boots as she and Sam simultaneously moved to stand against the wall. Neither were willing to find out what happened whenever an angel gets angry. 

"I killed two angels this week. My _brothers. _I am hunted -- I rebelled -- and I did all of it, for _you _and _her._" Castiel muttered darkly, his voice edging on a growl. "Dean, you failed. You and your brother destroyed the world. And I lost everything I have ever known, for nothing." Dilated cobalt eyes flickered over to the woman intently watching him from where she leaned against Sam, head resting on his bicep as he gently threaded his fingers through her hair. "She is all I have left. My reassurance. That's why she's not going with you. She's coming with me to help me find God."

"And what exactly do you need to do that?" 

Darkened eyes flickered over to Bobby Singer as he turned away from the window to face the angel. "An amulet. Very powerful, very rare. It burns hot in Gods presence.. and it'll help me find him." Cleopatras expression morphed from willingness to utter confusion as Castiel dipped his head toward his chest, eyes falling on the amulet that rested against Dean's clavicle. 

_Well.. Crap. _

She knew part of the backstory behind the possession passed from Sam to Dean, but the sentimentality was beyond her knowledge. But based on how Dean refused to take it off his neck, Cleopatra was sure there'd be reluctance to hand it over to Castiel. 

"Nope." Dean replied almost instantly. The eldest Winchester recoiled when a soft hand gripped his upper arm, thus turning the upper half of his body away from Castiel. A soft sigh broke past his lips when Cleopatra allowed her hands to dance up his torso, fingers twirling the charm back and forth between her fingers. 

"I'm going with him." She said quietly, eyes fixated on the amulet. "I promise he'll get it back to you. If it can help us take down Lucifer.. don't you want to be a part of the solution, as opposed to the problem?" Dean pressed his lips into a hard line and allowed his eyes to flutter shut, desperately hoping that she couldn't feel the pounding of his heart beneath her fingertips. 

"Fine. But be sure to bring it back,"

Castiel took a step closer to the woman in front of him, nimble fingers wrapping around the frame of her hip. Just the very thought of touching her after the hell he had put her through forced a barrage of self deprecating thoughts through his mind. Cleopatra was a good woman, one who had put up with him for far too long. Even after deliberately leaving her, here she stood at his side. Safe.

The calloused pad of his thumb dug into the divot just beside the bone, pressing into the warm flesh there and sending shivers up her spine. Cleopatra inhaled sharply through her nose at the contact but instead of hiding Castiel's effect on her, she simply stepped backward and right into his embrace. 

No arms wrapped around her. She was met with nothing but the cold reality of their situation at hand. Lucifer was rising -- and he was going to end the world as they knew it, 

"We'll be in touch." 

***

_Listen._

Waves crash against a barren shore. The night is silent, but the life that resides within this town thrums through her veins and brings a genuine smile to her lips. This.. This is what living feels like. To feel the water lapping at your feet, hear the joyous laughter of human beings, taste the aromas that linger in the air and feel truly at peace with yourself and the world.. 

That, my friend, is what living feels like. 

When Cleo finally managed to plant her feet on solid ground, the two of them were standing on a side walk across the street from a beach in Mexico. The shoreline was barren of people, with the quiet hum of the night-life thrumming through her veins as she inhaled the smell of salt water. Based on the red and gold hues that the horizon cast on the buildings, she assumed it was well past seven o clock. 

"We have arrived in Mexico." Castiel said softly, slowly assisting her in rolling her body upward to alleviate the ache in her wings. "I suggest we-" The Seraph frowned when Cleopatra merely brushed him off, swerving around him and entering the nearest hotel on the street. She had been rather.. composed in the hospital. What was wrong with her now?

"I need a room, please. Two queens, if you have them available." Cleopatra said urgently to the hotel clerk, feigning a tight smile as the woman behind the desk tapped away on her keyboard and slid over the keys for a room on the fourth floor. The Nephilim quietly thanked her and looked both directions before snapping her fingers, grinning widely when a fully packed duffel bag materialized at her feet. 

_Thanks, Uncle Gabe. _

"Cleopatra! H-Hold on!" Castiel exclaimed as he buzzed through the lobby, just nearly missing the elevator doors as they slid shut. The tension in the air had thickened considerably since their arrival and all he wanted to do was figure out why she was treating him as if he wasn't there to begin with. "Why are you cross with me? What have I done-" 

"That's the problem, _Castiel._" The venom in her voice was clear as the elevators doors opened and the Nephilim tore off down the hallway in search of their hotel room. "You seemed to not have noticed that I am exceptional when it comes to masking my emotions. That little stunt back in the hospital room? A ruse so Sam and Dean didn't see me tear into you." The two stood alone in their hotel room, belongings cast on their respected beds as Cas quietly shut the door behind him. 

"I'm assuming this is over what I said back in that room, when you and I were with Dean." 

Cleopatra grit her teeth. "Do you not get what that kind of thing does to a person?" She seethed. "What it does to _me? _Someone who has been abandoned by literally everyone I ever loved except my own mother? **You **were the one who said it was over. That you were _sorry _it never really got started!"

"I was doing that to _protect _you!" Castiel replied firmly. "That's all I've ever wanted to do is protect you, Cleopatra!" Cleopatra inhaled sharply when Castiel surged forward to close the gap between them, aligning his hips with her own as he pressed her body into the wall. Her breathing hitched as she realized the little proximity left between the two of them, and it took all of willpower to not meet his lips mere inches away from her face. 

Darkened cobalts hooded by dark, thick lashes stared so intently into her own that she swore her knees were going to give out beneath her. "Stop hiding from me." She whispered, allowing her fingers to dance up his torso and thread through his curls. Castiel pressed his lips into a hard line to repress the groan threatening to break past his lips. "This is me, Cas. I have been abandoned by so many people I love and have had to say goodbye far too many times. Please don't make me do that to you too.. angel. I can't bear it." 

He only wanted to do one thing in that moment. That moment where she was staring up at him, gold eyes blurred with unshed tears, chest heaving to the point where it was nearly pressed against his own and fingers wound through his hair - Father.. she was beautiful. 

Castiel wanted to kiss her. He _yearned _to kiss Cleopatra Carter, but he couldn't find it in him to do so because of the nagging fear that lingered in the back of his mind. _You will never be good enough for her. She will never love you the way you will love her. You two were damned from the start. _

"I told you I was going to protect you." He said quietly as his chest deflated, forehead lightly pressed against her own in that sole moment of vulnerability. Any anger she had been carrying towards him beforehand dissipated in that moment as she cupped his face in her hands, expression softened by the shame in his voice. "I will not be a failure. Not for you." 

Cleopatra stood on her tiptoes and brushed her lips against the underside of his jaw, reveling in the way he shuddered beneath her touch - like a fire had been ignited deep in him. Before she could react, the sudden flutter of wings met her ears, and Castiel vanished from her sight. 

She frowned and ran her hands over her face, realizing that the entire time they'd been in the hotel room he had been fidgeting a ridiculous amount and shrugging his shoulders, almost as if something was going on with his wings. She hadn't been paying enough attention through her fit of anger to notice. 

Ultimately deciding that she needed some time alone, Cleopatra changed into her navy blue bikini and collected her towel and cellphone, beelining for the pool which happened to be on the same floor as their room. An elated sigh escaped her when she pushed through the door and found the pool area mostly vacant, albeit the mother with the twin boys at the shallow end of the pool. 

"I guess it's time to call my mother before she has a coronary." Cleo said quietly, stretching out on the retractable chairs that lined the outer portion of the pool and swiping through the main screen of her IPhone. She pressed her thumb into her mothers contact and held it to her ear, praying that she'd actually given herself a night off from all the lesson plans and lore-reading she normally spent the majority of her time submersed in. 

"_Cleo?" _Alexandria asked. "_Sweetie, is that you? I've been waiting for you to call me for days. Dean said you were with Castiel in New Mexico?" _

"How did you-" She smirked and shook her head. "Never mind. I don't want to know how you got Deans number. He wasn't wrong though, we are in New Mexico. Cas thinks it's a good place to start searching for God, but right now I'm currently lounging on the side of a pool." 

_"We haven't spoken in quite a while, honey. What's happened since the last time we talked?" _

Her heart skipped a beat in her chest when she realized that it had been several weeks since she'd called Alexandria, which meant she was completely clueless about most of what had aspired since then. "There's alot that happened since then, Mom." Cleopatra said quietly. "Alot has gone down between Cas and I too, and I'm not sure what to do about it." 

"_I did talk to Dean briefly when he called me. They were curious to know about the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. He threw your status with Castiel into the conversation, probably to soothe a mothers growing nerves about her absent daughter. Said the two of you had a falling out." _

"Yeah, that's one way to put it." Cleopatra replied quietly. "The angels were trying to convert him back into the emotionless, cold, calculating soldier he was whenever I met him in Lawrence. He claims that pushing me away was the best way to protect me from the wrath of Heaven.. but all it did was tear me apart." 

"_Please tell me that the angels didn't get ahold of you." _

Her wings subconsciously twitched at the remark. "Oh, they did quite a number on my wings. That was the first part of the process where Cas converged his grace with my own. They're better.. but not a hundred percent healed yet. That's why I'm not helping Sam and Dean with the Apocalypse.. but I'm torn between wanting to kiss Castiel and beating him stupid." 

"_Why?" _

"Because he thinks pushing me away is the best way to protect me!" She snapped, wincing as her mother sharply sucked in a breath on the other side of the line. There had been a pact formed between them after the loss of Josiah that they would never raise their voices at one another - because it only ever brought more strife and resentment back into their home. "I-I'm sorry- I didn't mean to snap. I just don't understand his way of thinking." 

"_I do." _Alexandria murmured. Cleopatra strained to hear her hushed voice as she recognized the smooth melody of jazz in the background. "_Your father tried to do the same thing when he first told me he was an angel. Didn't want me anywhere near Heaven for fear they'd kill the woman he loved, solely because he loved her. I wouldn't let him do it because part of me knew we were destined for something greater then what we could imagine. Your father was terrified of losing me.. and it seems like Castiel had a similar mindset. It all circles back around to Heaven."_

No wonder Gabriel didn't want to be a part of his family. 

"Can I call you later and tell you the rest?" Cleo asked. "I wanna take a dip in this pool, and I'm going to have to confront Castiel soon." 

"_I'm your mother, Cleopatra Abigail. You can call me anytime you want. Just.. try not to kill him, okay?" _

She smiled wryly and bent to dip her toe into the pool. "I make no promises, but for you I'll try." Cleopatra mused. "I love you. I'll come by soon, okay? Enjoy your jazz club!" She jabbed her thumb into the red phone icon on the bottom of the screen and tossed it onto the chair, smiling widely as she pulled her hair into a high ponytail and prepared to jump in when two strong arms swiftly wrapped around her waist, and she was once again deposited into her hotel room. "Oh, come _on!" _

"I need your help, Cleopatra." Castiel begged. The Nephilim peeled herself off of her partner and quirked an eyebrow as he finally removed his coat and revealed his stunning navy wings, which were folded uncomfortably against his vessel. "My-My wings.. They are bothering my vessel considerably. It seems they are reacting to-" 

In an instant, her own wings unfurled and extended outward, almost as if they were calling to his own. 

"Mine." She retorted, grinning widely when a scarlet blush spread across Castiels cheeks. "It's okay, Cas. I figured you would need your wings groomed at some point. My mom used to tell me about this when I was a kid-" His eyes narrowed as strong, calloused hands wrapped around her bicep, drawing her gaze up to him. 

"This is a very intimate affair, Cleo." Castiel replied. "It is not to be taken lightly. Only the mates of other angels are permitted to groom their wings. And given that you were cross with me earlier, I did not want to impose-" She rested a single digit against his lips and wiggled her eyebrows, hoping to elicit laughter. It did no such thing, but the smile she was rewarded with was well worth the effort. 

"You are not a burden to me, Castiel. This is no problem. Just let me change into some more comfortable clothes." She vocalized. Cleopatra rifled through her duffel bag on the opposite bed and shivered as the warm, night breeze floated through the open windows on the opposite side of the room. "Why don't you take off your shirt and lie on the bed? I'll only be a moment." 

Castiel smiled softly and reclined on his stomach with his arms tucked under his head, completely oblivious to Cleopatra reemerging from the bathroom dressed in low hanging sweats and one of Deans flannels. She took that moment of silence to properly study the vessel of the angel - The rolling planes of his back, the scar just at the base of his spine, the freckles that lined his suntanned skin almost begging to be kissed. 

Her eyes greedily traveled up to his muscular arms, loosely tucked beneath a head full of dark hair and closed cobalt eyes. If Castiel was anything.. He was the epitome of beauty, both in the physical and celestial sense. The sight of him, a Heaven sent angel from above to be with _her,_ was truly magnificent to witness. 

She was the one who got to marry him. 

_She _was the one who would fall in love with him, if she hadn't already.

"So how does this work, Cas?" She inquired quietly, drawing the angel from his dozed trance. 

"I would start with straddling the lower portion of my back while I extend my wings, to give you more room to work." He replied. Cleopatra nodded and moved towards the bed, lifting her legs to pin them against either side of his hips. Her eyes watched in amazement as Castiel completely unfurled his wings, their span stretching out almost entirely across the length of the hotel room. "And from here.. Just realigning the feathers and discarding old ones." 

The two of them spent the next twenty five minutes in silence as nimble fingers began carding through his wings, and then a deep groan reverberated through the room. Cleopatra froze atop the Seraph who had gone limp in her grasps, his chest heaving as her hands still remained wound in his feathers. "Oh Gods.." She murmured urgently. "Did I hurt you?" 

"Q-Quite the opposite-" Castiel replied weakly. "It-It feels quite good. Can you please continue?" She nodded and smirked as he trembled beneath her, her hands working their way downward in the most inner portion of his wings. Many feathers had fallen over the bed in the thirty minutes she had been working from the outside in, but it wasn't until she was on top of him that he had begun reacting. 

_Oh. OH._

"Is there another reason you enjoy this?" Cleopatra teased, bending her head just beside his head to press a kiss to the shell of his ear. "I mean, don't get me wrong.. Your wings are divine, and I will never tire of seeing them. But you could've asked me to do this before now.. So why wait?" 

Castiel trembled violently the minute her lips caressed his skin, and before Cleopatra could blink, she was pinned to the bed by the Seraphims grace. When she finally managed the strength (she could've overpowered him easily, but why do it?) to lift her head, Cleopatra gasped at the sight before her. Castiel was completely encompassed in a cloud of white, his eyes glowing an abnormal blue.. and if she looked close enough, just above his head was the outline of a halo. 

"Woah." She breathed in awe, swallowing thickly as he crawled over her body and allowed his tongue to wet his cracked lips, eyes flickering from her own down to her slightly parted mouth. The air in the room was electrified by the presence of his true form, brought upon by her light teasing. 

"Don't-" Castiel growled, clearly struggling with his own self control as the pair of dilated pupils in front of him flickered to their stunning gold. "Do not _tease _me, Sunflower." 

\----------------------------------------------------

I really enjoyed this chapter, even though it's almost 5K words long. I'm sorry.. I got carried away. xD

** _GABRIEL COMES HOME IN TWO CHAPTERS,_ **

** _AND FREE TO BE YOU AND ME IS NEXT!!!_ **


	22. Free To Be You and Me, Part One

_You put your arms around me and I’m home. _

_\- Christina Perri: Arms _

—————————————-

Cleopatra woke up the following morning to beams of sunlight radiating through the thin material of the curtains, the smell of salt water wafting through the open window as she curled deeper underneath the blankets. A soft gasp broke past her lips as calloused fingers skimmed over the exposed flesh of her hips, gently pulling her back into a toned chest. “Just-Just a little while longer.” Castiel whispered, burying his nose in the depths of her hair. She knew that the angel required no sleep, but after last night, she was a bit perplexed that he felt comfortable enough to sleep like this. 

“I-“ She swallowed nervously and moved to rest her hand on top of his own. “I thought we were supposed to be looking for God.” The Nephilim turned towards the angel behind her and managed a small smile, her fingertips gently tracing over the contours of Jimmy Novak’s face. Her thumb traced over the shape of his eyes, the sharpness of his cheekbones, and down to the full outline of his lips. Her heart swelled considerably as he leaned into her touch, raising his hand from underneath the bed to rest overtop of the one that laid against his cheek. “But I think we can spare five more minutes.” 

The moment his cobalt eyes opened and met her own, Cleopatra swore she lost her ability to breathe. “Sunflower, I need to ask you something and I’m not sure where to-“ She pressed a finger to his lips and softly nodded as he propped himself up on his elbow, calloused fingers curving around the shape of her jaw. 

“You don’t have to ask, Cassie.” She mused, lightly tapping her temple for dramatic effect. “There are no words needed because I already know what you’re going to ask. And my answer... is _yes.”_

***

After three more days of endless searching, the pair came up empty and ultimately decided that trying to hunt for a being of magnificence like the God of the Universe could not be done without some type of help. And after careful consideration, they both decided it was time to bring Dean in on the situation. 

“We can’t tell him yet.” She chided, running her fingers through her hair in a futile attempt to tame it as Castiel tidied up the hotel room. The Seraph turned around to face his girlfriend as she exited the bathroom and snatched her duffel bag from beside the door. “I don’t want the boys to know that we’re dating yet, okay? It’s something that the both of us need to get used to before we end up telling anybody about it. Is that okay?” 

Given that he was quite a few inches taller then her, Castiel gazed down at the woman by his side as she wrapped her fingers around the sleeve of his trench coat, her lips parted into that brilliant smile that never failed to make his stomach explode. Dean claimed it was butterflies. He didn’t know how butterflies had nested in his stomach and exploded every time he looked at Cleopatra.

But he swore he’d figure it out. 

“I agree. I believe this is something that will take time to get used to.” Castiel lifted her hand and brushed his lips over the bridge of her knuckles. “And it will be something beautiful.” 

When they materialized behind Dean in what seemed to be another grungy, unappealing motel room, the elder Winchester nearly jumped out of his skin as he gazed at the two of them through the mirror. “Holy crap!” He exclaimed, clutching his chest to regain the breath he’d lost from the initial shock. “Don’t do that.” 

“Hello Dean.” Castiel greeted. 

“How did you two find me?” Dean questioned as he stepped deeper into the room. “I thought I was flying below the angel radar.” 

“You are.” Cleopatra replied. “My tuning works a bit differently then his though. I’m only half angel, so it was pretty easy for me to pinpoint where you were. I was confused by something, though.” Cleopatra peered through the other parts of the motel room and frowned when each of them appeared to be vacant. “Where is Sammy?” 

“Sam and I will be taking separate vacations for a while.” Dean replied casually. A pregnant pause ensued before Dean turned back around to look at the two angels behind him, both of which were watching him quite intently. It only took him a moment to notice the differences in body language the two exhibited around one another; The way they stood close together, almost as if Castiel was looking to protect her more now then he had before. “So, did you find God? And more important, can I have my necklace back?” 

“No, that’s why we’re here.” Castiel replied. “We need your help to find him.” 

“With what, a god hunt?” Dean asked skeptically. “Sorry sunshine, but I’m not interested.” Cleopatra huffed and gently slid the amulet off of Castiel neck and onto her own, spinning the charm in between her fingers. Dean inhaled sharply as she gazed back up at him through innocent blue-green eyes. “Gods Cleopatra, I _hate _it when you do that.”

”You’re a sucker, Winchester.” She retorted. “And besides, if it’ll get you to help us.. We’re looking for an archangel named Raphael. He’s the one who ‘killed’ Castiel the first time. More specifically, he’s the one who sent the two of us to Heaven to be tortured." 

Dean cocked an eyebrow. Whether or not it was out of confusion or amusement, Cleopatra wasn't sure. "You two were wasted by a teenage mutant ninja angel?" He guffawed, desperately attempting to repress his grin as she glared at him. "Okay, I'm done! I'm done!" 

"I've heard whispers that he's walking the Earth." Castiel replied. "This is a rare opportunity." 

''For what? _Revenge?" _

Cleopatra shook her head firmly. "No." She said. "This is a chance for information that we need in order to find God." The Nephilim cast a side glance at her partner and prodded his ribs with her elbow, causing Castiel to wince at her touch. "This genius has concocted a brilliant plan that is bound to get him killed in the most stupidly epic way I've ever heard." 

Dean pivoted on his heel to smirk at the Seraph, who grumbled under his breath as Cleopatra smugly watched him. "Oh, do tell." The older Winchester coaxed. "I'm sure I've done stupider-" 

"We are going to trap and interrogate this Archangel. And I need your help, because you happen to be one of the only people on this planet who will willingly help Cleopatra and myself."

"Oh no, I was wrong." Dean replied casually, snatching his duffel bag from the bathroom and zipping it shut as he prepared to head outside to the Impala. "I have never done something as stupid as sacrificing myself to Heavens most terrifying weapon. That is a whole new level of stupid."

"You are Michael's Vessel. Heaven will not dare touch you." Cas lifted two fingers in a vain attempt to teleport the three of them to Maine, where he claimed Raphaels vessel resided. 

"Woah!" Dean exclaimed urgently as he stumbled several feet backward. A look of utter indignation crossed his face as he composed himself and rolled his shoulders back into place. "Last time you zapped me some place, I didn't poop for a week, We are _driving." _

Dean insisted on blasting Led Zepplin nearly the entire ride to Maine, and Cleopatra could tell that the obnoxiously loud music was beginning to make Castiel uncomfortable. She tucked herself into the angels side and slowly pulled the Mp3 player from the pocket of her coat, unwrapping the headphones and uncurling his fingers to hand him the other. "This is softer." She offered, tucking the headphone into her ear. "It'll calm you down more. Bring you into focus." 

Castiel managed to flash a soft smile at the Nephilim by his side as he focused on the soft melody that began to flow through the speakers of Cleopatra's MP3 player. 

** _Wise men say_ **

** _Only fools rush in.. _ **

Dusk soon fell upon the horizon, casting a vibrant scarlet glow across Cleopatras pale face as her head lolled against his shoulder. Thick black hair veiled her eyes - The pair of green-blue orbs that always seemed to always stare deep into the heart of his true form. She never really cared for his vessel, despite the fact that Jimmy Novak was quite handsome. 

She appreciated Castiel for who he was. Not what he looked like. 

** _But I can't help_ **

** _Falling in love with you...._ **

"You like her." Deans deep baritone drew him from his trance as the two met each others gazes through the rearview mirror. "I always figured you were gonna be the completely oblivious one. The guy who took forever to see the gorgeous girl in front of him. And let me tell you Cas.. That lady beside you is one of the best women I have ever known in my entire life. If you’re gonna marry her someday, you better promise me now that you’re never gonna hurt her. Cause if you do,” Deans gaze darkened as he turned into the parking lot for the motel in Maine they’d be staying in for the night. Castiel was thankful for the safety of the darkness in that moment as he picked up Cleopatras hand and loosely laced their fingers together. “I’ll be sure to personally beat you stupid for it.” 

***

“So, mind telling me what we’re doing here?” 

Cleopatra stretched her aching limbs as she climbed out of the backseat of the Impala, cupping her neck in both hands and slowly rotating it to the left to ease the tension from her muscles. She couldn’t remember falling asleep last night, but when she had woken up that morning, Castiel had been standing over here with her navy blue pantsuit neatly ironed and ready to go. 

“_You look... good in navy blue.” _

Her heart had swelled way too much for her to say no. 

“A Deputy Sheriff laid eyes on the Archangel.” Cas replied casually. 

“And he still has _eyes?_” Dean asked incredulously. “Okay sunshine, what’s the plan?” Castiel shrugged and looked to Cleopatra for guidance, hoping that she’d be able to provide a less bluntly formulated answer then the one he was prepared to give. When she simply motioned for him to continue, the Seraph grumbled under his breath and turned back around to face Dean. 

“We’ll tell the Sheriff he witnessed an Angel of the Lord. And the officer will tell us where the Angel is.”

Cleopatra frowned as she turned Castiel towards her, nimble fingers ghosting over his torso to begin neatly adjusting his tie. Dark lashes brushed skimmed his cheekbones as hooded blue eyes intently focused on the woman before him. “Are you serious?” Dean remarked. “You’re going to walk in there and tell them the truth?” 

Cleopatras lips quirked upward into a breathless grin as she smoothed the fabric of his shirt beneath her fingers and adjusted his trench coat to align perfectly with his suit coat. “We’re humans, Cassie.” Cleopatra replied softly. “And when we want something really, really bad..” She extended her hand outward for Dean to rest the FBI badge the two of them had made him weeks before to put it into the inside pocket of his coat. “We lie.”

”Why?” 

“Because that’s how you become President.” Dean nodded, satisfied with the angels attire, before he turned to the woman behind him to examine her own attire. Cleopatra was dressed in a navy blue pantsuit and black stilettos, her face lightly applied with makeup and dark hair pulled back into a sophisticated ponytail. “You look good, kid.” 

She raised a perfectly curved eyebrow. “You can stop checking me out now, Winchester.” She retorted, patting the pocket of her blazer. “I’ve only done this a handful of times. Are you sure you want me to take the lead on this one?” Dean nodded and extended his hand to the front of the police station, tilting his head as he watched her walk out in front of him. 

Castiel immediately noticed how Dean was looking at his partner, and a heavy feeling of jealously settled in his stomach. He had never noticed it before, but the more he was around Dean, the more he saw how the oldest Winchester looked at her. 

It wasn't the first time he'd seen lust in a human male. He just wasn't okay with Dean lusting over _his _Nephilim.

He made a mental note to bring it up later. 

“Deputy Framingham?” Cleopatra called out. An older, dark skinned gentleman turned around at the call of his name and stared at the newcomers in confusion. “Hello. Renae Walker, FBI. This is Alonzo Moseley, and our partner Eddie Moscone.” The Nephilim turned around and patiently waited for Castiel to show the Deputy his credentials. A small smile quirked at her lips as the stoic angel reached into the inner pocket of his coat and produced his badge. 

Leave it to him for it to be upside down.

"Pardon him, he's new." She replied meekly. "Forgive me if this is a bad time, but do you mind if my partners and I ask you a few questions?" The Deputy's dark irises flickered between herself, Dean and Castiel before shifting to land back on Cleopatra. Her brow furrowed when he motioned to his left ear, as if he had lost his hearing in the right one. 

"Yeah. talk here though." He replied, leading the three of them through the police station. "My hearing is blown to hell in this one." 

"Did that happen recently?" Cleopatra inquired, lightly nudging the seat beside her for Castiel to take as the two of them sat down simultaneously. Dean remained in close proximity as the three of them listened to the Deputy recant his experience at the Pump and Go just outside of their town. He spoke of a fiery white light that emitted from the center of the explosion, which happened to circulate around one man in particular that had not been injured in the altercation. "Do you know the man you're talking about?" 

"Donnie Finnerman, he was a mechanic there." Framingham replied. Cleopatra stood to her feet and held up her hand to silence Dean, who had been on the verge of asking whether or not the man had vanished into thin air just as most angels did when they teleported. Flew. Whichever one you prefer. 

"Would you be able to write down the address of the hospital Donnie was admitted into?" She asked. The Deputy managed a nod as he slipped a post it note off of his desk, ignoring the two men in front of him as they began to file towards the door. Cleopatra flashed a warm smile in return and kindly thanked him for the information before she followed Dean and Castiel back out and into the Impala. 

Their trip to the hospital brought them face to face with the empty vessel of Raphael. Castiel claimed he would be able to tune into the inner workings of the vessel and be able to contact the archangel, which left her and Dean alone at the abandoned house while he gathered the supplies it would take to stop one. 

_Holy oil is the biggest douche move anyone can pull on an angel. Angel, archangel, they're trapped inside those flames and there's no getting out. _

_"_Cas?" Cleopatra inquired, peering around the rotted doorway to raise a perfectly curved eyebrow at her boyfriend as he sat the holy oil on the table. "I know Dean is probably beyond confused because he has no idea what holy oil is, but I'm curious. Is there any chance of survival for us in this?" 

Castiel's expression became pensive as he lifted his cobalt eyes to meet those of his Nephilim. "Dean does. You probably do. Me.." His voice broke away as she waited for his answer. "I doubt it." 

"So odds are that you're a dead man tomorrow?" Dean questioned. Cleopatra guessed that by the look on his face, the eldest Winchester was planning a scheme; A way to entertain Castiel beyond measure during his last night on Earth. If he were to be honest, the Seraph wanted nothing more then to hold Cleopatra's hand and finish the game of twenty questions they never got back to while in Lawrence. 

Dean had other plans. 

"Yes." 

"Well, it's your last night on Earth. Any plans?" 

"I just thought I'd sit here quietly." 

Desperate to contain her hysterical laughter, Cleopatra pressed her hand over her mouth and leaned into Dean, hoping that she would be able to contain her amusement. Castiel was completely oblivious to what Dean was so clearly insinuating, and she had a distinct feeling that he was going to receive the consequences of his naivety in a way that would make him rather... uncomfortable. 

"I wish it was that simple." Cleopatra mused as she and Dean bumped hips. "But I don't think our dear human over here is going to let you go that easily, Cassie. Tell me Dean." Given that he was quite a few inches taller then her, the raven haired beauty lifted her chin to meet the mischievous grin spreading across his chiseled features. "What did you have planned for our beloved Seraph?" 

"Dude, c'mon. Anything?" Dean leaned in closer to Castiel and gripped his shoulders tightly. "Booze, women, _anything? _You have been with a woman before, right? Or an angel at least?" It did not go unnoticed how visibly uncomfortable Cas became at the question, taking to averting Deans piercing gaze and rubbing the back of his neck uncomfortably. "_No__-" _

"I've never had the occasion." Castiel snapped in return. He was not willing to inform Dean of the recurring dream he couldn't wait to live - Where he married the woman before him and built a family, a _life, _for the two of them. It would be his greatest creation to make a family with the woman he loved, and his most cherished gift to worship Cleopatra's body -

Sorry. Getting ahead of ourselves here. Let's get back on track. 

Dean as always remained blissfully ignorant of the fact that Castiel was already dating Cleopatra, and so suggested that the two men take their evening to the nearest club. 

***

"Dean, can you go inside? Cas will be in shortly." Cleopatra ushered Dean away from the Impala and into the front door of the club. It was the trembling fingers ghosting over her hip that drew her back in the opposite direction to look into the petrified eyes of her boyfriend. "Dean isn't trying to scare the crap out of you Cas, but this is an experience you need to have." 

"Why?" He groaned in annoyance. "I do not approve of eyeing scantily clad women dressed in their undergarments for.." Castiel grit his teeth from behind closed lips as Cleopatra allowed her fingers to dance along the planes of his torso, eventually deciding to curl them around the nape of his neck. "_Sexual pleasure." _

"I want you to go in there," She whispered, standing on her tiptoes and aligning her hips with his own to sink into the curve of his body. Castiel's smell immediately overwhelmed her senses, sending a shiver down the base of her spine as he pulled her body as humanly close to him as possible. If she held her breath, Cleopatra swore she could feel the pounding of his heart. "And realize why I'm the only woman you will ever look at the way you do." 

"You are the only woman I will ever look at in such a way." Castiel confessed. She didn't even have to ask the question that was dancing along the tip of her tongue, because it only took one look into his eyes to really understand how he felt in that moment. It made her giddy with pleasure to know how deeply committed he was to her, and they had only just _began _their story together. "What do I do?" 

"Let Dean have his fun. Do something that'll really piss the girl off, and you're golden."

She watched earnestly as the Seraph parted from her embrace and began trekking towards the front door, taking one last look at the woman leaning against the 1967 Chevrolet Impala before he swallowed his fear and followed Dean further inside. Cleopatra took the rare opportunity of silence to allow herself a moment to relax, sinking into the cold metal of the car to glance up at the stars. 

"_I was there when Daddio made the constellations." Gabriel murmured, grinning widely as he poked his one year old niece in the stomach. His vessels heart warmed at the laughter that exuded from her lips. "Did I ever tell you that Orion is my favorite one?" He guided her chubby fingers towards the blanket of stars overhead, the tip of her index finger landing on Orion. "He was something else, Orion was. But instead of thinking about him whenever I look up at the stars, I think about my idiot best friends beautiful kids." _

_Gabriel pressed his face into Cleopatras dark hair, smiling softly when he felt her nestle further into his warmth. "I promise you, I'm always going to be there for you. If you ever need me Sunflower, just pray. I'll be there." _

Part of her resented Gabriel for not keeping up on his promises, but Cleopatra was used to the betrayals and pain that came with life. Pain was inevitable. You had to learn how to be able to deal with it. 

Her thoughts were halted by the ringing of her phone, vibrating against the fabric of her back pocket. She sighed deeply and slipped it into her hand, eyebrows furrowing when she saw **_Sams _**familiar caller ID flash across the home screen. "Hey Sam." She said quietly. Cleopatra had not seen the younger Winchester since their last encounter with Zachariah. before she'd gone on the God Hunt with Cas. "Are you okay?" 

"Funny enough, everything gets better whenever I hear your voice." Sam replied softly. "Listen, I know we got off on the wrong foot.. But I figured you and Cas got back together with Dean, and I wanted to say thank you. Thank you for being so wiling to watch over him. It makes my anxiety lessen knowing someone is looking out for my idiot older brother." 

"You're welcome Sam. If you need anything else," Her eyes snapped upward at the sound of a rousing escape from the back door, only to reveal the hunched over forms of Dean and Castiel before her. "Don't hesitate to call." 

When Cleopatra hung up on the opposite side of the line, Sam went back into his recent calls and marked **_Cleo Carter _**as Speedial #2. 


	23. Free To Be You and Me, Part Two

** _This picture was supposed to be for Changing Channels, but FTBYAM is long and I don't have the heart to change it. Expect a different edit for the next chapter!_ **

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

_Previously.._

Castiel stumbled out of the club in a haphazard state, his tie loosened and white shirt rumpled despite the fact that Dean was clutching his shoulder. The eldest Winchester was clearly amused at whatever had taken place inside the club. "I did exactly as Cleopatra said." Castiel stated proudly. "I told the girl the truth, which made her mad, and got out of there as fast as I could!" 

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

The following morning brought them back to the abandoned home, where Castiel was convinced Raphael would meet with them to talk about God's disappearance. He still quite proud of how well he resisted the temptation the night before -- despite the constant nagging from Dean -- about how he deserved to be bathed in iniquity due to his full rebellion against Heaven. 

Cas then realized what Cleopatra had meant upon seeing how little clothing the women wore. He had no desire to gaze upon them the way Dean had, not if it wasn't his woman that he was looking at. She was his treasure, a jewel to be cherished above all else. And he adored her that much more because of it. 

"Cleo, _wait-_" The Seraph wrapped his arm tightly around Cleopatra's waist as she and Dean skidded to a stop, stunned by the electricity as it sparked across the room. In a moments notice all the lightbulbs had shattered and candles snuffed out, bathing them in complete darkness. "Raphael." 

"Castiel." The Archangel, otherwise known as Raphael, replied. Cleopatra felt a shudder run down her spine at the distaste in his voice. "And accompanied by Heaven's most hated abomination. Wish I could say I was surprised.. but I'm really not. Gabriel did a good job of hiding her." 

"I thought you were supposed to be impressive, and all you do is black out the room?" Dean questioned. 

"_And the Eastern Seaboard." _

Cleopatra curled her toes from inside her boots as her eyes nervously flickered over to the stunning gold that often came with a change in emotion. She had encountered three of the four Archangels now, and two of them had made it perfectly clear that they hated her as much as they despised Lucifer. No matter how much good she did, Cleopatra was always going to be seen as an abomination. The perfect form of destruction lying dormant inside a human heart. 

"It is a testament to my undying mercy that I don't smite you here and now." Raphael remarked as his head snapped over towards the Nephilim. "Or that I don't blast this abomination into the deepest pits of Hell for associating herself with an angel." 

The gold in her eyes got just a little bit brighter as she stepped to the right, positioning herself in front of Castiel. 

"You're full of crap." Cleopatra snarled, fingers curling around the hilt of her angel blade tucked into the sheath on her thigh. "Maybe you're afraid that God will bring Castiel back to life again and smite you where you stand." A venomous smile spread across her lips as she waved at Raphael. "By the way, hi. I'm Cleopatra, that's Dean." 

"I know who both of you are." He snapped in response. Her blood chilled at the power that lurked behind his every word, dark eyes cast on the three of them as if he was concocting a plan that would ensure all three of their deaths. "And now thanks to him, I know _where _you are." 

Castiel took another step closer to Cleopatra, his hand wrapping around the curve of her hip as she simultaneously stepped backward to meet him halfway. "You won't kill them. _Either _of them." He spoke firmly. "You wouldn't dare." 

"No, but I will take them to Michael. That way I can kill two birds with one stone." His gaze settled on her. "The Woman To Decimate Heaven.. and Michael's Sword. Who wouldn't take that deal?" 

Once upon a time, she might have said that she was afraid of the power that Heaven had at its fingertips. How much they despised her. How they were driven to obliterate Nephilim -- her and her only living blood -- off of this planet. But after joining the Winchesters and integrating herself into the hunting life, Cleopatra had discovered a new found sense of strength to conquer her darkest fears. Loss. Fear. _Death. _

It all spurred from her dedication to the angel who could not seem to let her out of his grasps. 

"I'm not going anywhere with you." Dean bent down to retrieve a bottle of beer from the cooler he had brought into the house, pulling out his can opener from the pocket of his jacket as he popped the lid off of the neck. "Well, despite your _imagination, _I'll bet you didn't imagine one thing." 

"Yeah? What's that?" 

Cleopatra smirked as she flicked open the lighter Castiel had pressed into her palm only moments before. "We knew you were coming, you pompous douche." 

She casted the lighter onto the ground, thus igniting the ring of holy oil they had poured prior to Raphaels arrival. A brilliant amber glow cast across their faces as the flames grew nearly to the height of his waist, completely encompassing the Archangel in a hold he would not be able to step out of. 

It took Castiel a moment to find the strength he needed to ask the question he had been dreading the answer to. "So, where is he?" He questioned, lifting his head high enough to meet the other angel in the eyes. 

"Who, _God? _Didn't you hear? He's dead Castiel. Has been for quite a while." Her heart sank as she felt Castiels chest deflate, but his expression remained vacant as he and Dean turned to look at one another. "There's really no other explanation for this. He's gone for good." 

"_You're lying!" _

The weather outside seemed to perfectly mirror the deluge of emotion stirred deep within her. The heartache that spread throughout her chest, the prick of tears in the back of her eyes at the Archangels proclamation.

Oh, how it hurt her to the depths of her soul to hear the bitterness lingering on the edge of Castiel's voice. Here he was; A selfless, compassionate Seraphim who had never met his Father face to face.. but remained loyal to him all the same. "Am I?" Raphael replied. "Do you _remember _the 20th Century? Do you honestly believe that the 21st is going any better? Do you think God would have let any of that happen if he were alive?"

"Oh yeah?" Dean retorted as he placed his hands on his hips. "Then who invented the Chinese basket trick?" 

Cleopatra repressed the urge to snicker at his snide comment as she watched Raphael's eyes darken. "Careful, that's my father that you're talking about boy." 

"And I bet _he _would be super proud to know that it was his own sons who jumpstarted the friggin' Apocalypse!" 

"We're tired of living in a godless universe." Raphael said. It was the first genuine statement he had spoken the entire night. "We just want it to be over. We just want.." Darkened irises flickered over to Cleopatra and locked with her own earth-shattering emerald eyes that never seemed to stray from the Archangel. "_Paradise." _

"So what, God dies and makes you the boss?"

"Yes, and whatever we want, we get!" 

Cleopatra and Castiel whipped around simultaneously and pulled Dean into the middle of them, wings unfurling to wrap around one another and shield the eldest Winchester from the shattering glass that exploded from the windows behind them. Despite the torrential downpour and mighty gale that broke through the broken windowpane, Castiel never once let his grip on her hand falter. 

And despite the fact her clothes were clinging to her like a second skin, dark strands of soaked hair veiling her expression from him, Cleopatra managed to lift her chin just high enough to meet the cobalt irises only inches away from her own.

And she still smiled.

"Castiel, I'm warning you. Do _not _leave me here." Raphael commanded, still unable to move freely in the ring of holy fire. Cleopatra pressed a hand to the Seraphs chest and turned back around to face Raphael, her eyes narrowing as she lifted her hand and positioned her fingers, prepared to snap them. "And you, _Nephilim-"_

A wicked grin crossed her face as Cleopatra snapped her fingers and the Archangel disappeared from sight, leaving nothing but a ring of ash in his wake. 

"I'm sorry. What was that?" She questioned, laughter breaking past her lips as Castiel wrapped his fingers around her wrist and moved to yank her out the door and to the Impala. "Were you going to say something?" 

***

Castiel had never felt more abandoned or more safe then later on that night, when he found himself tucked away in Dean's Impala beside the woman he cared about more then he liked to admit. Cleopatra was sitting at his right, feet loosely pressed against the door as her head lolled against his shoulder. After all this _ridiculous _amount of effort he had put into finding his Father, it had only just now been confirmed that the God of the Universe was nowhere to be found. 

_Stupid humanity. Stupid loyalty to a father I've never met... stupid heart that cares too much. _

"Hey, are you okay?" Dean said softly, careful not to wake the sleeping woman as his grip loosened on the steering wheel. The Seraph continued to stare blankly out the windshield lined with the fallen drizzle. It was almost as if the Heaven's were also mourning the loss of their Father. "I do happen to know something about missing fathers." 

"What do you mean?" 

"I mean there were times when I was looking for my dad when all logic said that he was dead," Dean replied. Even right on the brink of slumber, Cleopatra allowed her eyes to flutter open when she felt warm fingertips caressing the hand that laid idle on Castiels knee. Her heart skipped several beats when he sucked in a low breath and slowly intertwined their fingers together, thumb ghosting over her knuckles as he carefully listened to Deans story. "But I knew in my heart that he was still alive." 

_Well, at least someone got a semi happy ending with their father. _

"So who cares what some Ninja Turtle says Cas. What do you believe?" 

Cas allowed his head to fall back against the seat, mouth positioned to respond when he felt Cleopatra stir in his embrace, moving her body just a little bit higher to where her face could comfortably rest in the crook of his neck. Her free arm wound loosely around his waist as she nuzzled against him, lips just barely skimming the warm flesh of his vessel. If she was truly awake and alert, Castiel hoped she couldn't hear the frantic pounding of his heart. 

"I believe he's still out there." He said quietly. 

"Good. Then go find him." 

"What about you?" Cas asked. "Would you like some company since Sam isn't here? I'm sure Cleopatra would be more then willing to stick around if you asked her." Dean peered at his closest friend through his peripheral vision, desperately trying to ignore the painful constriction of his heart when he recognized the outline of linked hands in the shadows of the Impala. 

"She's your girl, Cas. She was never mine." If Castiel had been human, Dean was sure he would've recognized the utter disappointment lingering on the edge of his tone. Ever since their reunion after his ascension from the pits of Hell, Dean Winchester had been trying to harbor the feelings he carried towards the only woman in his life to show him what unconditional love really felt like. He had to keep lying to himself. It was for her own good. 

She deserved better then the likes of him. 

"I'm good. I can't believe I'm saying that, but I am." 

"Even without your brother?" 

"_Especially _without my brother. I mean, I spent so much time worrying about him.. I've had more fun with you and Cleopatra in the past twenty four hours then I've had with Sam in years! And you're not that much fun." Cleopatra took the moment of silence that ensued to lift her head from Cas' shoulder, swinging her legs over to rest on his lap as she gazed at Dean. "You know, I've been so chained to my family. but now that I'm alone? Hell.. I'm happy." 

Her lips curved downward into a frown as she reached over the man beside her to curl her fingers over Deans broad shoulder. The older man sucked in a breath through his teeth as he turned his head a fraction of an inch to meet the stunning pair of eyes that so closely mirrored the sun, only inches away from his face. 

If Nephilim could gaze into humans souls just as Angels could, Dean was sure that Cleopatra could _see _the self-loathing bubbling from deep within him. The destruction that always seemed to lie in his wake.. The way he bled, the way he loved. 

_Loving you was the greatest tragedy I have ever been a part of. _

"You keep telling yourself that, Winchester." 

And with a flutter of wings they were both gone, leaving Dean alone in the darkness of the only four walls he had ever come to call a home. 

***

"_Sam, wake up." _

_Sam Winchester shot up at the waist in the bed of his hotel room, shifting his weight to his side to lean over and press warm kisses to the skin of the woman beside him. Jessica turned to lay on her back as she rested her hands against her stomach, eyes cast upward to gaze at the younger Winchester. "So, this is your life now?" Sam exhaled shakily as those familiar hands, ones that had mapped every part of his body and committed it to memory, tenderly caressed his jawline and remained there. "Think you can just live forever with your head buried in the sand?" _

_"I love you, Jess." It was spoken so quietly that if you hadn't been paying attention, you probably wouldn't have heard it. "God knows how much I miss you too.. but you're wrong. People can change. There is reason for hope." _

_"No, Sam. There isn't." _

_The face of a woman he once loved so dear melted away, revealing the form of the demon who laid beneath it. Lucifer had been an influence of Sam Winchesters life for years, and he was fully set on ensuring that the younger Winchester would be his vessel for the upcoming battle ahead. _

_"How can you be so sure?" _

_"Because you **freed **me." Sams eyes widened at the masculine voice that spoke behind him, hastily scrambling out of the bed and turning around to meet the unfamiliar face that accompanied it. "That's right. You know who I am." _

_ **He's a liar. He's a liar. Don't give in. Don't let him win. ** _

_"Lucifer." _

_"You are a hard one to find Sam. Just like that Nephilim of yours you keep ignoring.." As if on cue, Sams phone lit up across the room with the fifth text from Cleopatra he had received since the brawl inside the bar. "I can't wait to meet her! Heaven's most hated abominations.. teaming up.." He clapped his hands eagerly. "It's gonna be quite a ride. I'm practically shaking in anticipation!"_

_"She would never-" Sam thickly swallowed the bile rising in his throat. "What do you want with me?" _

_"You are the one who freed me." Lucifer replied. "I want to give you a gift. I want to give you everything." _

_"I don't want anything from you!" _

_The Archangel clucked his tongue distastefully. "I'm so sorry Sam. I-I really am. But Nick here?" He gestured to the vessel he had been occupying since his impromptu release from the Cage. "Just an improvisation. A Plan B... if you will. He can barely contain me without spontaneously combusting." _

"_What are you talking about?" _

_Lucifer rose from the bed and clasped his hands together. "Why do you think you were in that Chapel?" He questioned. "You are the one Sam. You're **my **vessel. My true vessel." _

_So Dean was the Michael Sword,_

_And Sam was the downfall of human kind. Brother against brother. _

_"No." Sam roughly shook his head in denial, blinking furiously to avoid the inevitable flow of hot tears blurring his vision. "No... That will never happen." _

_"I'm sorry, but it will. I will find you and you will let me in." If it hadn't been a dream, Sam would've walked right up to Satan and punched him as hard in the face as he possibly could. Satan was a liar. He was an expert at deception.. So why should he have to believe he was the destined vessel of Hell? "I'm sure of it." _

_"You're an Angel. You need my consent. And I will kill myself before ever letting you use me as a meat suit!" _

_"And I'll just bring you back." Lucifer crossed his arms over his chest and heaved a sigh. "Sam, I feel sorry for you. I do. The weight on your shoulders, what you've done. It is more then anyone could bear. If there was some other way, but there isn't." He took a tentative step towards the younger Winchester, who only continued to back away the closer he got. "I will never lie to you."_

_ **Wrong. ** _

_"I will never trick you.''_

_ **Wrong. ** _

** _"_ ** _But you will say yes to me. I'm not wrong. I think I know you better then you know yourself." _

_"W-Why?" His voice broke apart as he struggled to form coherent words. "Why me?"_

_"It had to be you, Sam. It was always going to be you."_

When Sam crossed the room to pick up his phone, his brow furrowed as he scanned each text message Cleopatra had sent him. Even though they had gotten off on the wrong foot since the start, the Nephilim still found enough space for his broken soul in her heart. She wanted to tend to it. And by sending updates about Dean, it was enough to begin suturing the wounds back together. 

The last message caught his attention. It wasn't an update, but a Bible Verse. 

**Cleo: I know you're struggling, Sammy.. This was a part of a verse my dad used to repeat to me alot, and I thought it might help boost your resolve. ** **Lucifer is a liar. Don't allow yourself to fall because of what he says. **

**What do you believe? **

"**_No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light." _**


	24. Uncle Gabriel Comes Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gabriel makes his return appearance to the Winchesters and his niece, but things are not all as they seem to be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm gonna eventually upload this in its entirety. I'll get there, but writing it is going to be so hard.

_Just pray to me, Sunflower. I'll be there. _

[ **changing channels ] - this chapter is over 4k words long!!**

Time passed. Her continual doubt over the path ahead of her grew significantly, but that didn't mean that Cleopatra found it in her to pry herself away from her Angel. After his impromptu leave from the inside of the Impala, she was unusually surprised at the fact that he had taken her with him. Her heart still ached for Gabriels return, but she had come to learn to not expect the best out of people until they proved her opinion of them to be wrong. 

Well, Gabriel proved her wrong.

They were in the middle of a game of Twenty Questions, hidden deep within the confines of another hotel room and pouring over Castiel's first cup of real coffee. And yes, he wanted to be sure you knew that he absolutely loves coffee. It's the only thing in Creation that doesn't taste like molecules to him.

"Was Gabriel the most obnoxious angel when you were a fledgling?" She eagerly asked, grinning widely as Castiel threw himself onto the opposite bed in a dramatic fashion. He had rid himself of the suit and trench coat upon arrival, leaving him in a white button up that was currently rolled up to his elbows, and pressed navy blue dress pants. His feet were bare and loosely hanging against the side of the bed as he watched her. It was especially during their time alone that Cleopatra found the Seraph acted the most care-free, acted as if there was no other soul in the world besides hers alone. "Oh come on Cas, you two were good friends. I'm simply _dying _to know. Tell me what kind of stuff he did!" 

"He may or may not be responsible for the creation of the platypus."

The next thing she felt was the world slow down around her as Castiel was frozen on the opposite bed, cobalt eyes gazing at her intently through disheveled hair that hung at his brow bone when he didn't care to comb it. Her lips curled downward in a confused frown as she leaned forward and lightly ran the tips of her fingers up the Seraphs exposed legs, grinning widely as he remained in place. 

"_Cas-"_

And just as she moved to roughly jar him from his stupor, Cleopatra slammed onto the rough tile floor of the brightest motel room she had ever seen. The walls were plastered in retro flowery neon green and yellow wallpaper, almost as if she had just been transported into the makings of a 1970's movie. "Hello?" She called out, eyes narrowing as she examined the length of the room for any clue as to who might have brought her to this particular motel room. 

"_I'm gonna need a bigger mouth!" _

She whirled around and nearly slammed into the broad torso of Dean Winchester, gasping as the eldest brother lunged outward to catch her before she fell back onto the floor. "What-the-_crap-_" Cleopatra rasped, allowing her head to fall backward as the front door opened to reveal the form of Sam. "Is going on?!" 

The last time she had heard from either of the brothers, she and Dean had just returned from a trip to an apocalyptic future before she parted from him. That was only days before. (**AN: I will include The End as a bonus chapter at the end of this book) **So how did the three of them conveniently end up in this motel together, and _why? _

"We were on a case," Dean replied as she wriggled out of his arms, beelining for the refrigerator to unscrew a bottle of beer. "And we narrowed it down to possibly being one supernatural creature -- The Trickster. Sam and I dealt with him a couple of years ago, before we met you and Cas. Most obnoxious son of a-" 

Cleopatras eyes narrowed as she wrapped her hands around her hips. "_Language, _Dean-o." She mused, recoiling as his eyes snapped open and he jabbed his index finger at her accusingly. 

"That's what he used to call me!" 

Sam held his hands up in surrender as the three of them took a seat around the massive sandwich in the center of the rickety kitchen table. Cleopatra glanced at the food skeptically before peering around the side of the towering meal to glance at Dean. "Can you tell me what this Trickster looked like?" She asked, allowing her finger to ghost over the side of the sandwich as she swiped away excess mayonnaise. It was meant to act as a distraction from the hope bubbling deep within her. "Cause it sounds like I might know the guy." 

***

_"What is this show?" Dean winced as Cleopatra plopped onto the worn mattress beside him, green eyes narrowing at the pathetic excuse of a tv the motel had provided in each room. They had only returned from a case an hour before and Sam had taken first dibs on the shower, leaving the two of them alone for what he called 'bonding time.' "Dude, seriously? Did you start hanging out with my mother and hit menopause along the way or something?" _

_The elder Winchester flicked the Nephilim in the nose, grinning wickedly when her normally serene gaze flickered to that brilliant gold that often left him awed -- before Cleopatra leaned forward and punched him right in the arm. "It's called Doctor Sexy, I'll have you know." He replied matter-of-factly. "And it is quality television!" _

Cleopatra swore she heard the familiar _click _of someone changing the channel whenever she opened her eyes and found herself beside Dean and Sam in hospital halls that eerily reminded her of those from the show Dean always fawned over. The Nephilim frowned and glanced downward at her appearance -- The sudden curl of her hair, the navy scrubs she had donned upon arrival, neatly pressed underneath the white labcoat with the name _Doctor Novak, M.D. _scrawled in intelligible calligraphy across the breast pocket. 

"Doctor." Her head slowly came upward, tongue twisted as she fought for coherent words just as a petite brunette approached them and slapped Sam so hard across the face that his head jarred to the other side. "Seriously? You're brilliant." 

"Brilliantly stupid." Cleopatra muttered, lifting two fingers to Sams cheek to heal the sting. His eyes met her own for a split second as he silently thanked her before turning back to the woman before him. "I'm sorry, do continue-" 

"And a coward. You're a brilliant coward." 

Dean and Cleopatra peered around Sams broad shoulders to gaze at one another, hidden by his enormous figure as realization finally settled in. "Is that-" Dean whispered urgently, emerald eyes lit up in excitement as he continued to point at the woman. "Is that who I think it is?!" 

"Doctor Ellen Piccolo." Cleopatra replied. She neatly pushed her curled hair behind her shoulders and allowed her hands to relax in the pockets of her labcoat. "Dean has a massive crush on her. She's the," The young woman cleared her throat as her voice dropped several octaves in a futile attempt to mimic Dean. "Sexy-yet-earnest doctor who works at Seattle Mercy Hospital." 

Dean harrumphed and stomped his foot into the ground as he crossed his arms over his chest dejectedly. "That's- That's not even close to what I sound like!" 

"Sorry to break up the cat fight here ladies," Sam interjected as he pulled the other two closer to him. "But seriously.. what are you two talking about? Cause I'm kind of clueless here." 

"Let me make this as clear as I possibly can, Sammy boy." Cleopatra mused. They all turned towards the opposite end of the hall, where multiple people were milling about as they went about their day. Nurses pushed patients in wheelchairs from room to room. Doctors exchanged information as they poured over patient charts. Families chattered eagerly about the good news they had received. A woman mourned the loss of a loved one. The overwhelming smell of antiseptic and life that for some odd reason had Cleopatra Carter smiling. "The doctor getups, the interns, the 'seriously?' It all makes sense." 

"What makes sense?" Sam questioned again, but more firmly. "What is going on?" 

Dean extended his arms and grinned. "We are in Doctor Sexy, M.D."

***

"_I don't believe this." _

Of all the things she had seen today, Sam Winchesters denial over their current predicament was by far the most humorous. 

"Well, believe it boys. Something transported us into tv world and now it's up to us to figure out who did it." Cleopatra replied. The three of them walked side by side down the parallel hallway, rifling through the details they'd gathered since their arrival into Dean's favorite TV show. A niggling feeling in the back of her mind told Cleopatra that Gabriel was the precise culprit to pull a stunt such as this. 

Deans incessant shaking of her arm drew her from her stupor. "Cleo-_Cleo_-" He whined, calloused fingers dragging over the warm expanse of her flesh. "Look! It's Doctor Sexy!" 

The Nephilim rose her head and narrowed her eyes at the man walking towards her and the Winchester brothers. He was tall and stood right around the same height as Dean, with dark brown hair that ended just at the nape of his neck. His steely onyx eyes examined the three of them before settling on her. It didn't go unnoticed the way Doctor Sexy looked at her - that spark of familiarity that lingered deep in his gaze. 

Almost as if he knew her. 

Since their reunion months beforehand, Cleopatra had watched enough of Doctor Sexy with Dean to know even the most minuscule details of the show, including his choice of footwear. So when he was close enough to the three of them and threatened to call security, Cleopatra took the opportunity to use her angelic power and slam the man into the wall behind him. 

"What do you think you're _doing?_" He cried indignantly, squirming under the immense pressure pressed against his windpipe. A devious smirk twisted her lips upward as Cleopatra stepped forward, intrigued by the sudden flicker of eye color. From the darkest brown to that oh so familiar whiskey that belonged to an angel she held so dear to her heart. 

An angel -- her _uncle -- _who had left her behind. 

"Doctor Sexy doesn't wear tennis shoes, good sir." She mused, slowly tilting her head in the same way Castiel often did whenever he was confused. Her lips parted in a brilliant smile that Dean swore made the world a better place. "Besides.. I'd recognize those eyes anywhere. Those are the eyes of the one person who left me behind when I needed him most." Venom dripped from her words as Cleopatra inhaled deeply, fiery eyes snapping open to lock with his own. "Hello, Uncle." 

Deamns eyes widened as Doctor Sexy transformed into who he and Sam knew as the Trickster, but Cleopatra knew him as the Archangel Gabriel; Complete with messy blonde hair and mischievous, twinkling eyes that were locked on Cleopatra in pure awe. 

"_Uncle?!_" Dean exclaimed, arms flailing out of annoyance and confusion as Sam intently watched the exchange passing between the Nephilim and the Trickster/Archangel. "Your Uncle is the friggin' Trickster? Are you kidding me?!" Sam cleared his throat and gently guided Dean backward and away from the pair, afraid that Cleopatra was preparing to tear into the Uncle who had abandoned her. 

"They're family, you nitwit." The younger brother murmured. 

Gabriels eyes softened as he moved to step forward and wrap his hand around her shoulder in greeting. He didn't expect Cleopatra to recoil at his timid touch and instead step back into the broad chest of Sam Winchester. His soft, compassionate side he only ever revealed in the face of Josiah and Alexandrias family fell instantly, and he retreated inward to reapply the mask of the Trickster. 

_I'm sorry Sunflower. I'm sorry I wasn't who you needed. I'm sorry I ran.. but in the end, that's what I always do. I run. _

"Can't get you boys and the lady out of here." Gabriel remarked as he straightened out his labcoat. "Not to mention I don't see your stakes anywhere, big guy." 

"That was you on the police scanner, right?" Sam replied, loosely wrapping his arm around Cleopatras waist. The raven haired woman had not made an effort to speak in the time she'd been resting in Sam's embrace, instead opting to watch the altercation between Gabriel and Dean. She wanted to **know **this persona he had become in the time since his best friends death, "This is a trick."

"_Hell-ooooo!_" Gabriel replied dramatically as he gestured to his face. "Trickster! Come on, what was I supposed to do?! I heard you two yahoos were back in town with my all-time favorite niece. How was I supposed to resist?" 

"I'm really trying to _resist _the urge to punch you in your face, Gabriel." Cleopatra snapped. Her tone had come much harder then she had originally anticipated, and the slight wince that emitted from her uncle did not go unnoticed. "Mind telling me where we are?" 

"Do you like it? It's all homemade!" To prove his point, The Archangel trekked further down the hallway and knocked his fists against the walls. "My own sets, my own actors.. I like to think of it as my own little idiot box." 

Dean furrowed his brow and wrapped his hands around his hips. "Now how do we get out?" Gabriels eyes flickered between Sam and Cleopatra before his gaze settled on the Nephilim. Had it been ten or more years previously, he was sure that she would've been grinning widely at his shenanigans. Now she wouldn't stop glaring at him, almost as if the sight of him repulsed her. 

He had a lot of lost time to make up for. 

"That my friends, is the sixty four dollar question." He said. "Your Nephilim friend over here.. Well, she's family. She gets a free pass instantly." Before Cleopatra could argue, Gabriel held up a hand in warning so he would be able to finish his thought. "You two on the other hand, I'm leaning more towards you two muttonheads broke the world, and you want me to sweep up your mess." 

"Please, just five minutes." Sam interjected. "Hear us out." 

Gabriel pulled his bottom lip between his teeth and pondered his choices. Take Cleopatra, hide away and explain himself, watch the Winchesters epically fail at what he liked to think were hilariously entertaining mind games. Or take Cleopatra, watch them win, and hand her over whenever they were done. 

He was leaning more towards the first option. 

"Okay, tell you what. Survive the next twenty four hours, we'll talk. _And_-" He extended his hand outward and lightly pressed two fingers against her forehead, bending down just far enough to catch Cleopatras limp body as she fell into his arms. "You can have your Nephilim back." 

***

When Cleopatra woke up, she found herself staring at a small square room, not much bigger then an office cubicle and decorated in slate grey paint. The walls parallel to her were lined in different surveillance screens for the cameras Gabriel had placed, and a occupied swivel chair was the only other thing that remained in the room besides her. 

It was the smell of cinnamon that caught her attention. 

"_Whatcha makin-" Eight year old Cleopatra burst into the kitchen to find Gabriel digging into an array of candy that was spread across the island in the center and the entire countertop, whiskey eyes wide from the sugar rush as he eagerly gestured for her to come into the kitchen. "Uh.. Mama said that candy isn't good for you Gabe!" _

_"Mama Ria doesn't know what she's talking about, kiddo." Gabriel casually replied, wiggling his eyebrows as he poised his fingers to snap. "Now, would my favorite kid in the world like Uncle Gabe's signature, oh so delicious cinnamon pretzels? I know they happen to be your favorite!" _

Cleopatra smiled at the memory as she slowly brought herself to sitting cross legged in the middle of the room. Cinnamon happened to be one of her favorite scents because it reminded her so much of what home used to be. How good a life she had lived once upon a time. 

"Ah good, you're awake." Her head drifted upward to gaze upon Gabriels form as he reentered the room, clutching a plate of cinnamon pretzels in his hand. "Sorry I had to resort to such drastic measures Sunflower, but if I'd left you awake, I was afraid you would've stabbed me or something." 

Cleopatra made no effort to move as she gestured for him to continue. "I've been waiting to hear this explanation for fourteen years, Gabriel. God has been kind enough to give me a ample amount of patience since I began pursuing Castiel." She knew she'd struck a chord when the Archangel froze at the mention of one of his closest friends. "Oh yeah, should've mentioned that. I have met sweetest angel in the garrison. Castiel." Cleopatras gaze softened as she ran the pad of her thumb over the inside of her wrist. "And he means everything to me." 

"When your daddy and brother died, all of Heaven felt it. Like I told your Mama before, Nephilim have a particularly strong bond, especially if they are related by blood." Cleopatra swiped the plate of cinnamon pretzels from him like a child deprived of Halloween candy as he plopped into the swivel chair. "I knew something had gone wrong, so I came down to Earth to see what the issue was. It was bad enough that Heaven was becoming chaotic because my Father was becoming more absent, but when I saw Josiahs body outside of Lawrence.."

Cleopatra froze mid-bite when her stomach began to clench, causing memories long locked away to resurface. "I spent years grieving over a father I lost too soon. I don't need a mental image of how his corpse looked when you found him." She swallowed the chunk of pretzel and lifted her eyes to lock with Gabriels. "We needed you. _I _needed you. And I was left to fend for myself-" Tears blurred her eyes at the memory of her brother -- who had spent his entire life protecting her -- only to end up dying because he was doing exactly that. "I had no one to protect me anymore! Not from the angels, or the demons.. or the humans who never failed to make it known that I was a freak. An abomination-" 

Gabriels eyes lit up an intense blue at her remark as he lunged from his chair, sweeping her clear off her feet only to slam her body into the only wall that wasn't occupied with surveillance screens. Cleopatras fingers remained reposed on the outside of her thigh by her angel blade, gold eyes flickering nervously as the magnificent power of the Archangel reverberated from Gabriels vessel. He was Heaven's most terrifying weapon, after all. 

"You are _not_ and have _never _been a freak, Cleopatra Abigail Carter." He spoke lowly. "I knew your father would rebel and fall in love with your mother, and so did my own Father. That was why I played such a key part in both your life and Reagans. You wanna know who convinced Daddio to let you live? That you had a better story to unfold?” Gabriel extended his arms to the array of screens where Dean and Sam were just beginning the absurd Japanese game of _Nutcracker. _“I did. I spent my entire creation protecting an idea, a legacy, until you came into this world. I always knew you were gonna come despite what I told your dad. I just didn’t know I’d be this devoted to my niece.”

He had spoken so profoundly and with so much heart she wasn't sure she had a statement to follow it. Instead Cleopatra turned her gaze to the nearest surveillance screen where Sam and Dean were both turned in the direction of a newly appeared Castiel. 

"_Cas?"_

_"It's me. What are you doing here? And where is Cleo?" _

Gabriel whistled in recognition as Cleopatras eyes softened at the screen. "Ah, dear Cassie. He was always was a devoted follower," He clasped her shoulder and managed a mischievous smile. "Even if the person he was following happened to be his soulmate." 

_"Us? What are you doing here?" _

_''Looking for you! You've been missing for days!" _

Cleopatra stood to her feet and crossed her arms over her chest, slightly perplexed at the fact that Gabriel already knew that Castiel was her chosen soulmate. "I never even mentioned his name until now, let alone the fact he’s my-“ She swallowed the words as if they were a bitter pill. “My soulmate. How did you-“ 

"Oh sweetheart, who do you think gave Dad the idea in the first place? The rebellious Seraphim, paired along with the Destroyer of Heaven. It's a _beautiful _love story in the making, and with the help of yours truly!" Gabriel turned his thumbs on himself and shimmied his shoulders. "No one ships Casopatra harder then I do!" 

It was hard to not smile at his genuine happiness. Everyone had been desperately trying to break her and Castiel up, but here Gabriel came strolling along.. ushering the two of them to come together, to defy the odds and be the pair that even Heaven and Hell feared. It would take time to forgive him for leaving her, but she cared about him far too deeply to hold a grudge. 

Wrapping an arm around his shoulders, Cleopatra leaned into the Archangel and pointed at the nearest screen, where Sam and Dean were back in the same motel room she'd found herself in upon arrival. "Is it showtime, dear Uncle?" 

Gabriel grinned and snapped his fingers, once again materializing his niece on the motel floor just as the door flew open to reveal Castiel. Cleopatra swiveled around and stared at her boyfriend in raw wonder. "Oh thank Father." Castiel murmured, bending down to hoist her to her feet. His calloused hands subconsciously drifted to wrap around her waist, thumbs gently kneading the warm expanse of flesh that lined her hips. "I thought something had happened to you." 

"Are you okay?" Dean interjected as the Nephilim tenderly lifted her fingers to graze the lacerations on Cas' face. "What happened?" 

"I got out!" Castiel snapped. "This thing is much more powerful then it should be. I don't think it's a Trickster-" As if on cue, Castiels vessel was flung to the opposite wall and hunched over upon impact. Gabriel burst through the door in that moment, grinning widely as he waved to his adoring fans. 

"Hello!" He greeted. "Oh, thank you. No, please.. stop!" The Archangel turned around as he locked eyes with the silent Seraph, who had yet to loosen his grip on his niece. It only took him a moment to recognize the devotion and sense of protection that was quite evident on Gabriels face when Castiel pulled Cleopatra closer to him. "Oh Casopatra.. The ultimate power couple. Really.. I'm quite jealous. By the way, it's nice to see you Castiel." 

Before he could even begin to formulate a coherent thought, Gabriel flicked his wrist and the other angel vanished from sight. "Was that absolutely necessary?" She remarked. "I mean, he _did _have his mouth duct taped shut. Wasn't like he was going to do any harm, Uncle." 

"If I hear you call him Uncle one more time, I'm pretty sure I'm going to throw up in my mouth." Dean remarked as he dragged the back of his hand across his lips, expression lacking its normal color. "What did you do with Cas?" 

"Relax, he'll live." Gabriel retorted. "Normally I'd make some snide comment about the greater good and how he'll absolutely live, but Cleopatra here would smack me if her sweet little Seraphim got hurt. I'm a good Uncle." 

Cleopatra stiffened as Deans face flooded with palpable anger, the tension in the room thickening as he curved around Sam to stand toe to toe with Gabriel. "You know what, I'm done with the monkey dance. I'm done with you using my best friends girl as a distraction, okay? We get it." 

"Yeah? Get what hot-shot?" 

"Playing our roles right? That's your game?" Dean remarked sharply. 

Gabriel held up a single finger in question. "That is only half the game," He replied. "And don't forget, your Nephilim over here is a part of this too. She's not being left out of this one." The Archangels eyes softened as Cleopatra lifted her chin just high enough for their eyes to lock. "Not this time." 

"Then what's the other half?" 

"Playing your roles _out there. _You know, Sam starring as Lucifer and Dean starring as Michael. And my personal favorite, the Nephilim - Heaven's most feared weapon. The Nephilim who is the destroyer of Heaven and Hell.. and she's been placed in the lives of you two nitwits." 

"I'm not the Destroyer of Heaven." Her voice was so quiet that all three men nearly didn't hear her as Cleopatra stood to her feet. "I've been defying my destiny since the second Castiel walked into that park, and I'm not about to let it drag me down a path different then the one I'm walking on." She exhaled slowly as tears blurred her eyes, her heart aching for Castiels presence to slow down her frantic mind. "I can't. _I can't be the Destroyer."_

"You might not have a choice in the matter." Gabriel said. He disregarded her utter state of panic for a brief moment to turn back to the Winchester brothers. "Your celebrity deathmatch. Play your roles." 

It was Sams turn to look flabbergasted. "You want us to say _yes?"_

"Hells yeah!" Gabriel exclaimed. "Let's light this candle!" 

Cleopatra crossed her arms over her chest and leaned back into the wall of the motel room, allowing her eyes to flutter shut as she struggled to control her uneven breathing. In this point of time, they were just beginning their trek down the homestretch that would lead them into nothing but utter destruction. A land of ash and fire, reigned over by the woman destined to destroy her biological father's home. The place where his soul rested in peace. 

It was Gabriel slamming Dean into the door beside her that drew Cleopatra from her trance. The Archangel stood toe to toe with the eldest Winchester as he gripped the lapels of his button up, whiskeys eyes ablaze as they were only inches away from Dean. "Don't you _ever _presume to know what I am." Gabriel snarled. "Now listen very closely, you two. Here's what's going to happen. You're gonna suck it up and accept your responsibilities and play the roles destiny has chosen for you." 

"And if we don't?"

"Then you'll stay here in TV Land forever, and I'll be taking my Sunflower far far away from you boneheads to deliver her to the Seraph who can't stand to not be beside her." Dean grunted as he attempted to wriggle out of Gabriels steel grasp, but to no avail. "300 Channels and there's nothing on." 

It always came back around to Destiny. Destiny this. Destiny that. 

_Screw destiny. She was writing her own story. One of heartbreak and pain, hope and love.. anger, guilt, grief.. but it was still her own story._


	25. Family

**[ changing channels - Part II]**

**[ this is short and will be the last chapter until my finals are over] **

After their excursion inside of the procedural cop show that Dean swore up and down he loathed more then anything else, Cleopatras eyes opened to the cold concrete floors of an unfamiliar warehouse. "Dean?" Cleopatra called out, bracing her hands against the pavement as she slowly began to rise to her feet. Neither of the Winchesters were in her line of sight, which left her completely and utterly alone. "Sam? Cas?" 

Standing to her feet, Cleopatra reached into the back pocket of her jeans for her cellphone. It had only been a little while since she had last heard from Castiel, but she was sure that it had been a number of days since she and the Winchester brothers had entered TV Land. 

** _Missed Calls: Dean (2) _ **

** _Castiel (1)_ **

She inputted her password and stepped out into the sunshine, eyes keenly peeled for any landmark that may have been familiar to her as Deans voice rumbled through the speakers of her phone. "_Hey darlin, don't know what happened to you.. but if you get this, meet Sam and I at Centennial Point Wilderness Area." _He said. "_We're about to fry ourselves an angel!" _

Her heart nearly stopped in her chest at his proclamation. When had he and Sam finally figured out that they were dealing with an Archangel? How _stupid _did they have to be to try and trap him, much less interrogate him? 

"Please God," She whispered softly, snickering as she tucked her phone back into her pocket and shifted her aching shoulders inside of her jacket. "Don't let them do anything stupid that might jeopardize Gabriel. Just.. don't let them do anything stupid for _five _minutes!" 

When she arrived at the wooded area Dean was already in the midst of a stern conversation with her Uncle, who was grinning at the Impala parked before him. It wasn't until she saw Sam crawl out of the floorboards of the back seat that it occurred to her Gabriel would be the type of person to turn his brother into a car - or make him a part of it. 

Cleopatra crept behind a cluster of trees about three hundred feet from Dean and Gabriel, her fingers curling into the bark of the trunk as she intently focused on the wavelengths of their voices - allowing her angelic hearing to kick into gear. "_Tell me one thing. Why didn't the stake kill you?" _

Gabriel shrugged absentmindedly. "_I am the Trickster_." 

"_Or maybe you're not_." Her heart crawled into her throat as Sam pulled a lighter out from the pocket of his coat and tossed it onto the concrete, igniting the ring of holy oil that Dean had poured prior to the arrival of the Archangel. _"Maybe you've always been an angel, and Cleopatra just decided not to tell us. Doesn't surprise me though, she's ridiculously loyal even to people who don't deserve it._"

“A _what?!" _He cried indignantly. "_Did someone slip a Mickey into your power shake kid?_" 

The Nephilim cursed under her breath as she emerged from the treeline, shaking the pine needles out of her leather jacket and hair as she began to walk towards the Winchester brothers. 

"_I'll tell you what. You just jump out of the holy fire, and we'll call it our mistake." _

It took a split second for his expression to shift from the mischievous, sneaky eyes of the Trickster to the solemn, pensive expression of the youngest Archangel. He was supposed to be this all powerful being incapable of feeling _anything - _but Gabriel was the one who had left Heaven when everything was destined to go wrong, only to descend to Earth and bury the body of his best friend. He had to watch his niece and his sister-in-law mourn a loss so great that neither of them were ever the same again. 

Gabriel was destined to live a immortal life that ended in nothing but chaos and destruction. He was a centuries old being who had lost everything, had seen the mightiest battles and bathed his hands in the blood of his enemies.. but here he stood, nothing more then an Uncle who wanted to keep one of the last people he cared about most in this world safe. 

"Well played boys, well played."

The tips of her combat boots echoed against the wet concrete as Cleopatra emerged from the shadows on the opposite side of the warehouse the four of them were in. Gabriel didn't even attempt to turn around and look at her. 

"Well, do you want to tell me where I screwed up?" The Archangel remarked. "Was it the Nephilim? Me, myself and I?" 

Sam lightly shook his head as he rolled his shoulders back and tucked his hands deep into the pockets of his jeans. "You didn't screw up." The youngest Winchester replied. "But nobody gets the jump on Cas like you did. Not even his soulmate." 

"But in particular, it was the way you talked about Armageddon." Dean interjected. "Call it personal experience, but nobody gets as angry as you did unless they're talking about their own family." 

The most remarkable part of this entire conversation was how incredibly calm Gabriel remained despite his identity about to be brought to light. He had known since his first incursion with the Winchester brothers that these would be the men to jump start the end of the world. The men who held his nieces heart and cradled it when it bled. He had to pass the torch onto someone else. 

"So which one are you?" Sam snapped. "Grumpy, Sneezy or Douchey?" 

Cleopatra appeared in his peripheral vision at that moment, raven hair veiling her anger as she snapped her fingers in Sams direction, causing him to double over in pain as his arms wound around his stomach. "A punch in the stomach with my grace is literally the most merciful thing I can do to you, Samuel." She chided. "That was completely unnecessary. Don't make me resort to something far worse." 

Gabriels whiskey eyes flickered between the three forms in front of him as he spoke. "_Gabriel._" He replied lowly. "_They call me Gabriel." _

"Gabriel?!" Dean exclaimed. "The Archangel!?" Both of the Winchesters sharply pivoted inward to scold the Nephilim standing between them, who shrank into herself under their scrutinizing glares. "Why didn't you think to tell us this information sooner, Cleopatra?" 

"Maybe because I happened to once live a very private life before you two dragged me into hunting, and he happens to be the _one _good memory I have from my childhood! You two don't get the privilege to know every single detail of my life!" Both brothers winced as her voice wavered on the edge of a yell, hoarse from desperately trying to keep herself together. "He's my family, geniuses. I wanted to _protect _him, not boil him alive in a ring of holy oil!" 

''I'm not curious to know the tragic backstory of the Archangel and the Nephilim." Dean interjected. "What _I _want to know is how an Archangel becomes a Trickster!" 

"My own private witness protection!" Gabriel replied. "After Cleopatra's dad died, I had no reason to go back to Heaven. I was already contemplating leaving by that point, so I skipped out and had a face transplant. Carved out my own little corner of the world until you two screwed it all up." He jabbed an accusing thumb at both Sam and Dean. "And you, _sweet _niece.. you just had to go and make me care about someone again, didn't ya?" 

Cleopatras head dipped towards her chest, the pads of her boots sweeping the concrete. "You've always cared, Gabriel. That's the problem. You ran away and didn't _want _to care anymore because your best friend and your nephew both died." Tears blurred her eyes and the Archangel sucked in a breath when he was greeted with two guilt ridden gold orbs staring back at him. "They _died, _and you just _ran-"_

"That's what I do best, sweetie." He whispered. "I've always been good at running." 

"And what did Daddy Dearest have to say about you skipping out of Heaven to hang with Earth's unholiest abomination and her family?" 

Gabriel's expression shifted to one of raw anger as his gaze snapped over to Dean Winchester, who probably would've attempted to kill him had he not been ensnared by holy fire in that moment. "Daddy doesn't say anything about anyone anymore." He retorted. 

"What really happened then?" Sam questioned. "Why'd you ditch? Reagan and Josiah's death can't be the only reason." 

"Do you really blame him though?" Dean said to Sam. "I mean, his brothers are heavy-weight douchenozzles." 

"Shut your cakehole." Gabriel growled. "You don't know anything about my family. You don't know anything about the pure heart that currently stands between you two. I _loved _my brothers. I loved my Father. But watching them turn on each other? Tear out each others throats?! I couldn't bear it, okay?! So I left. I took a temporary residency with the Carter Family on Earth, and I fell in love with my best friends kids. It was the day a tiny finger wrapped around my own that I swore I would devote myself to my nephew and niece." Cleopatra's heart sank as Gabriels eyes once again fell to her, and that was when all the pieces fell together. "And now it's happening all over again."

Everything he had done -- leaving Heaven, bringing Josiah and Alexandria closer together, being an active part of both her childhood and Reagans -- It had all been for a greater purpose. Gabriel had been piecing together the foundations of the life she was meant to be living. 

And here she had been.. more brooding and pensive, contemplating every little decision when so much had already been sacrificed for her to even be _standing _here. 

"Help us stop it." Sam begged. 

"It can't be stopped." 

"You want to see the _end _of the world?!" 

"I want it to be over!_" _Gabriel exclaimed. "I have to sit back and watch my own brothers _kill _each other, thanks to you two! Heaven, Hell.. I don't care who wins! I just want this all to be _over. _I want this woman," He pointed a thumb at Cleopatra. "To be able to live the life she deserves. To fall in love with Castiel and to learn what _living _really feels like. She can't be doing that if she's dead!" 

"It doesn't have to be like that! There has to be some way to pull the plug!" 

Gabriel laughed bitterly at the younger Winchesters statement. "Wow, you clearly do not know my family." He replied. "What you guys call the Apocalypse? I used to call it Sunday dinner. That's why there is no stopping this, because it's not about a war! It's about two brothers who loved each other and betrayed each other. You'd think you be able to relate!" 

Deans vacant expression contorted into one of confusion as he and Sam glanced at one another. "What are you talking about?" 

The Archangel whistled in disbelief. "Are they serious?" He remarked indignantly at Cleopatra, who only nodded in confirmation. "Wow, you two are _clueless. _Why do you think you're the vessels?! Think about it! Michael, the older brother, loyal to an absent Father. And Lucifer, the little brother, rebellious of Daddy's plan. You were _born _to this boys, it's your destiny! It was always you! As it is in Heaven," He extended his arms towards the ceiling. "So it must be on Earth." 

"So what are you saying?" 

"He's saying that the higher ups always knew it would end with you two." Cleopatra said quietly. "No matter what universe, no matter what circumstance, it is and was always going to end with you two. _Always." _

A pregnant pause ensued as the Winchester brothers allowed the devastating news to sink in, but Dean couldn't seem to keep his lips sealed as he defiantly lifted his head to lock eyes with the Archangel. "No." He replied firmly. "It's not going to happen." 

"I'm sorry, but it is." Gabriels voice broke away as he absently chewed on the flesh of his lower lip, his vessel reacting uncomfortably to the growing heat the longer he remained inside the holy fire. "Guys, honestly.. I wish this were a TV show. Easy answers, endings wrapped up in a bow. But this is real. And it's going to end bloody, for all of us. That's just how it's gotta be." 

***

"_So, now what?"_

Cleopatra was the first to speak up despite the lack of voice. She had run out of energy, both physical and mental, hours beforehand. "I'm not going to demand you do anything because I have more decency in my entire body then Dean possesses in his pinky finger, but I would really appreciate it if you could bring Castiel back from wherever you stashed him." 

Gabriels lips curled upward as he snapped his fingers, materializing Castiel close enough to Cleopatra that the Seraph could grip her for support. "Cas, are you okay?" Dean interjected. Castiel swallowed thickly and shakily outstretched his hands to curl around his girlfriends shoulders, softly squeezing in return as she rested both her hands on top of his own. 

"I'm fine." He replied gruffly. "Hello Gabriel." 

"Hey Cassie. How's the search for Daddy going? Let me guess... _Awful." _

"Okay, we're out of here. C'mon Cleo. Sam." Dean gripped the Nephilims wrist and began to trek towards the door, but not before he found himself frozen in place because Cleopatra had made no effort to move. "Cleopatra, we're running out of daylight here. Are you coming or not?" 

Disgust spread across her face as Cleopatra turned towards Dean, wrenching her wrist from his grasps as she took a step backward towards Gabriel. "Not." She replied sharply. "I happen to have more compassion in me then to let a family member remain trapped in the only thing that can capture him forever. You two get out of here." 

"Cleo-" 

"_NOW!" _

The Winchesters both moved towards the door with Castiel hot on their heels, despite the angel's desire to remain behind with his Nephilim. "Were you two planning to leave me here forever?" Gabriel remarked. 

"No, we weren't." Dean called out. "And for the record, this isn't about some prize fight between your brothers or some destiny that can't be stopped. This is about you being too afraid to stand up to your family!" Dean broke the glass on the fire alarm and pulled it downward, triggering the sprinkler system inside of the warehouse. Cleopatra remained unmoving in front of Gabriel, unable to shake Castiels penetrating gaze as her clothes soon became soaked with water. 

The moment she snapped her fingers, the holy fire dissipated and she found herself sprinting into the arms of her uncle. "If you ever truly need somebody Sunflower, when it feels like there's no one there for you.." He wrapped his arms around her as Cleopatra hid her face in the crook of his neck, thankful for the spray of water that would veil the hot tears cascading down her face. "Just pray to me. I'll be there."

_I'll always be there. _


	26. A Loss We Cannot Endure // Her Darkest Fear

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucifer is coming.

[ **abandon all hope **]

[ **AN: For the sake of this story, Lucifer and Gabriel are still brothers, but Cas is not related to them ** ] 

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"_All my life I have been consumed by fear thinking that you were the stuff of nightmares." Her voice dropped to a dangerous low as the Nephilims eyes flashed bright gold, which immediately made Lucifer recoil at the intensity of the power she possessed. "But now I have learned you are nothing more then a coward with Dad issues." _

_"I'm not a coward, sweetheart." The overwhelming smell of ash and blood filled her nostrils as he took a step closer to her. "I'm Lucifer Morningstar. One of Daddios Archangels, and I'm the only being on the planet who can match your power. You **should **fear me." _

_"I've spent far too much of my life being afraid of the creatures that lurk in the shadows. No more."_

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"_Mr. Pendleton, I presume." _

The thick smell of gasoline, over-population and hot pavement made Cleopatra wrinkle her nose as she peered around the nearest pillar of the bridge she had been leaning against. Just behind her stood the form of Castiel, who was watching the incursion taking place before him with narrowed cobalt eyes. 

"Got him." Castiel murmured. Cleopatra tilted her head as the Seraph wrapped his hand around her hip, thumb curling into the divot of her hipbone as he pressed his chest against her back. Given that she shared many of the same qualities he did, Cas thought it only appropriate that she engaged her angelic hearing (he compares this to hearing peoples prayers - if that puts it into perspective for you.) "The Demon Crowley is making a deal. As we speak it is... going down." 

"_Going down?" _Dean muttered to himself. "_Okay huggy bear, just don't lose him. Don't lose that girl of yours either. Sam and I would like her back before the return of Christ." _

"I-" He swallowed a bitter remark as Cleopatra snuggled deeper into the warmth of his vessels embrace. "_We _won't lose him." He promptly ended his phone call with the eldest Winchester and allowed his face to fall to the crook of her neck to inhale that unique fragrance that solely belonged to Cleopatra. "I enjoy this. Touching you-" 

"Woah there Cassie, keep it PG-13, why don't you?" She retorted eagerly, grinning widely as she turned in his embrace to gaze at his puzzled expression. "If it makes you feel better, I greatly enjoy when you touch me. We're working our way up the totem pole." 

A gentle flutter of wings and they found themselves in front of a house layered in Enochian warding magic, which immediately seemed to set Castiel on edge. "What's after subtle touches?" He whispered, ever so slowly dragging his fingers along the bare expanse of her shoulder-less sweater. A deep shiver ran up her spine at his touch - sending electricity dancing along her skin. 

Blue green irises dilated with desire lifted to meet his own, hooded by thick lashes that seemed to veil the glitter that lurked within them. ''Well sunshine, at some point you're gonna work up the courage to kiss me." The statement rolled off her tongue with ease as Cleopatra stood on her tiptoes and allowed her fingers to tangle in his hair. "Or I'm gonna work up the courage to kiss you.. And that's when things are gonna get really magical." 

"How so?" 

"Because then you're gonna fall in love with me, and I with you. And it is the best experience either of us will ever have." Before Cleopatra could continue her phone suddenly began to ring, causing her to curse under her breath as she fished it from her pocket to answer Sams call. "You two have the worst freaking timing on the planet, Samuel!" 

"_Sucks to suck." _He retorted. "_Did you two follow him?" _

"Yeah, we followed him alright. Crowley landed in a house nearby and it's layered with Enochian wards. Cas can't get in." Her brow furrowed as Cleopatra glanced down at her outfit before peering around the side of the house to see if anyone had been guarding the main gates of the estate. "But I can." 

"_Good, cause Dean wants the big guns for this one." _Sam replied. "_And I think it's time you met Jo Harvelle." _

***

When Dean had told her about Jo and Ellen Harvelle the first time, a picture had immediately come to mind. Tall, thin and blonde - but a woman who could handle herself _and _pack a punch. Jo was all of those combined, and Cleopatra wasn't the slightest bit surprised. 

She left Castiel in the backyard upon hearing Dean and Sam at the front gates with Jo, who was dressed in a backless formal dress and cradling a duffel bag against her chest. Sams eyes lit up when he recognized the Nephilim -- who wore a dark green shoulderless sweater and faded jeans, her signature knee high combat boots immaculately laced. He could see the hilt of her angel blade glimmering in the moonlight from where it sat nestled against her thigh. "Welcome to the party, Cleopatra Carter." Dean called out, grasping Jo's attention as the two women turned to regard one another. 

"Jo Harvelle." Cleopatra whistled in astonishment. "I've heard alot about you from these two bozos. You don't disappoint." Jo rose a perfectly curved eyebrow to look at Sam and Dean, who did nothing to respond verbally and chose to shrug instead. 

"You two have been taking _this _gorgeous woman around for God knows how long, and didn't tell me about it?!" She cried dramatically. "I'm offended. If I had known there was more estrogen to socialize with, I wouldn't be spending so much time with men!" 

Cleopatra turned back around to Sam and Dean, who were gazing at her expectantly as she pushed her hair behind her shoulders, gold eyes flickering in the darkness as the Enochian runes on the hilt of her angel blade came to life at her touch. "Crowley is in there. He's not gonna be expecting two Winchesters and their Nephilim.'' She motioned to the front door of the house with her blade. "Shall we, boys?" 

***

To say he was star-struck at the sheer aura of power that entered his home was an understatement. Crowley was a cross roads demon -- one who took his job very seriously-- which left little to no room for shock value. So when the Winchester brothers broke into his house in the presence of such power, he could not help but be curious as to what the creature was who had him pinned against his fireplace. 

It was the eyes that gave her away. _Angel. _

"The girl for the Colt." Crowley replied suavely. "Or even better, _she _can come and take it from me." Dean and Sam froze when Cleopatra whipped around, pressing the palms of both hands onto the foreheads of each demon that held the brothers. Both of them crumpled in seconds. "Wow. Even I have to say.. I'm impressed." 

"I don't make _deals_ with demons, Crowley." Cleopatra snarled. "I have the capability to break that vile persona with a snap of my fingers, and I won't hesitate to do so if you even think about attempting to double cross us." She held up her hand. "Now, the gun. If you would."

"Gladly, _angel. _But first you have to tell me your name, then you and the Hardy boys need to follow me so the four of us can talk. Privately." 

Before she could even formulate a response, Sam wrapped his fingers around her wrist and lightly tugged her along behind him as he followed Dean into the adjacent office room. "What is this?" Dean asked, fingers twitching at his side as he saw Cleopatra relax in his brothers grasps. The younger Winchester had been talking to him about how to act around the Nephilim, silently hoping that he could mend the path they'd been taking since meeting and establish a friendship of sorts. 

"Do you know how deep I could have buried this thing?" Crowley remarked, flicking his wrist to shut the door behind them. "No one should know that it exists to begin with. Except that I told you." 

"_You _told us?" Sam replied incredulously.

"Rumors, innuendo.. sent out on the grapevine."

"Why? Why would you tell us anything?" 

Cleopatra's breathing hitched as Crowley lifted the Colt to his line of sight, finger wrapped around trigger as he aimed it for the center of her forehead. "I want you to take this thing to Lucifer and empty it into his face." She rose her hand and rotated her wrist just as Crowley set the weapon back onto his desk, grimacing as it flew from its spot and directly into her grasps. "Shocker." 

"Uh huh, she tends to have that affect on people." Dean replied. "Now tell me, why exactly do _you _want the Devil dead?" 

"It's called survival. But I forgot that you two at best are functioning morons. Your friend here however... " His voice broke off as Cleopatras gaze met his own. "She might actually prove to be much more useful then you." The demon paused in his statement as a shiver ran up Cleopatras spine. "What's wrong love?" 

"Firstly, I'm not _your _love." She snapped. "And secondly, Lucifer and I have not met yet. He's.. the stuff of nightmares, so I'm told." 

The only person Cleopatra had confided in over her fear of Lucifer was Castiel, who had been adamant since his release from the Cage that the two of them were never to meet face to face. He understood her fear -- But the Seraph was unwilling to put her in a position where she may act out of said fear and end up hurting somebody. Or worse, herself or the Winchesters.

"You and Lucifer are nearly matched in the power you possess. What a sight it will be to see someone like yourself put that oaf in his place." Crowley replied. "Anyways, Lucifer is not a demon. He's an angel who happens to be famous for his hatred of mankind. To him you're just filthy bags of pus. If that's the way he thinks about you," He nonchalantly sipped at the alcohol in his hand. "What can he think about us?"

"But he created you." 

"To him we're just servants, cannon fodder. If Lucifer somehow manages to exterminate human kind, we're next. So.. help me. Huh?" He jabbed a thumb at Cleopatra. "Or even better, help her. She might be the only thing besides that puny gun who can put Lucifer in his place. Let's all go back to simpler times where we could all follow our natures. I'm in _sales, _dam-" 

"We'll kill the Devil for you." Dean replied coldly. "But first you're gonna have to tell us where he is." 

"Thursday. Some little birdies told me that he has an appointment in Carthage, Missouri." Cleopatra turned to walk out the door, clearly feeling satisfied with the intel they had been given, until it suddenly occurred to her that the gun in her waistband felt much lighter then it should've been if it was filled with ammo. 

"Oh, hey Crowley." She called out, turning in the foyer and wrapping her hands around her hips. The demon peered between the Winchester brothers and smirked as she extended her hand. "There can be no killing if there isn't bullets to kill with." 

His smirk widened into a smile as he pushed the brothers apart to toss the bag of bullets to the woman before him. "I'm gonna like you, angel." He mused. Before Crowley could continue in his adoration of the mysterious woman, Dean cleared his throat and stepped in front of her to veil the flutter of wings as she disappeared from the house entirely. "Hey, what was that for? I was-" 

"Fawning over a beautiful woman. Believe me, _I know._" He replied firmly. "I've been doing it-" Dean swallowed his words and clenched his jaw, the muscle ticking furiously against his jawbone as he hardened his gaze on the demon. "Not the point. The point is, aren't you signing your own death warrant by doing this?" 

"Number one, he's gonna wipe us all out anyway. Number two, I go on an extended vacation to all points nowhere. And three, how about you don't miss, _okay?! _Morons!" 

Before Dean could hash out a snarky reply, he and Sam were left alone in the dark room, Cleopatra having left to return to the safety of Bobby Singers termite infested home in Sioux Falls. 

"Well, we've got the girl and the gun." Sam mused, grinning widely when Dean snorted in disbelief. "Maybe Cas'll let up on Cleopatra and let her be of use for this one, huh? That'd be fun, seeing how Nephilim are similar to angels. Maybe she's got all her own powers up her sleeve." 

Cleopatra's power tended to lean more towards the seductive side - or, to put it better, having quite an effect on an already tipsy angel. Ellen had thought it would be quite the entertainment to try and outdrink the Seraph, which had lead the two of them to line up multiple shot glasses across the dining room table. Jo and Cleopatra watched from the end of the table as Ellen downed her first shot. 

"Okay big boy," She chided. "Let's go. Maybe 'Patra here will give you a kiss when you're-" 

Castiel had already downed four shot glasses before she had even finished her sentence. Cheeks tinted pink, the Seraphim leaned inward just close enough to inhale the intoxicating fragrance of lavender, cobalt eyes shaded by thick eyelashes that brushed the tops of his vessels sharpened cheekbones every time he blinked. "I think I'm starting to feel something." He said quietly. Cleopatra swallowed thickly when he rose his head just a fraction of an inch, lips an inch away from her own and hand slowly coming to rest on the outside of her thigh. 

"A-And that would be?" She squeaked, gaping at the meek sound of her own voice. Hours beforehand he had been petrified of the _thought _of kissing her, and now he was more handsy then the entire time they'd been together. It scared Cleopatra more then she cared to admit, but ignited the spark that sat low in her belly - waiting to be nurtured into a larger fire that yearned for _him. _

"Adoration." 

"Cleo!" Her head snapped upward at Deans call, lightly brushing her fingertips over Castiels cheek as she stumbled past him and into the living room where Dean and Sam were bent over a map of Carthage and several different missing persons reports from the same area. "Wow. Did you get laid in the kitchen?" 

"_Dean-" _

"Cause I haven't seen a girl blush since the last time I got laid. And believe me." He wiggled his eyebrows for dramatic effect. "You do not want to know what I-" Cleopatra flicked her wrist and pinned his lips shut with her grace, snickering as his emerald eyes widened and he began to squirm in protest. 

"My virgin eyes and ears do not need to know what Dean Winchester does behind closed doors, thank you very much." She flicked her wrist once again and release the eldest Winchester, leaning into Sams broad form as the two of them peered at the map pinned by his hands. "Okay, Sammy. Show me what you've got." 

"Well, I was just about to explain to Dean why it's beyond _stupid _to go to Carthage alone," He said firmly, meeting his brothers hard gaze through cold eyes. "All of us were gonna go, but he's adamant that it be everyone except me. And I told you Dean, if we're going to do this.. We're going to do it together. Plain and simple." 

After a moment of uncomfortable silence, Dean rose his beer bottle in acknowledgement. He had known from the start that Sam wouldn't be willing to sit the bench in the fight against Lucifer, given that it had been his influence and his choices to release the Devil from his Cage. Even if the two of them did end up being taken as vessels, there were still good people who could save the world in their absence. 

Cleopatra was good. She was _better _then the both of them, and if Dean had to leave the world in the hands of a Nephilim and her Seraphim.. He was okay with that. She could handle it.

"Okay." He replied. "It's a stupid friggin idea, but okay." 

Cleopatra grinned at Castiel as she wrapped an arm around his waist and lightly pressed her chest against his own, trailing a finger along his jawline until her entire hand sank into the soft tresses of his hair. "I've been resisting the temptation to kiss you for days, Castiel." She replied heatedly. "Because I know you're still unsure about us, but I just want you to know.. I'd wait an eternity for you." 

The next thing he did surprised her - because just as Bobby called all of them into the living room for a family photo, Castiel pulled her even closer to him and brushed his lips against the corner of her mouth. Cleopatra felt her heart skip a beat the second his lips made contact with her skin, sending a shiver down her spine as they slowly shifted to hover over her mouth. 

"It is a new concept for me, feeling as I do." He whispered to her. "But the way I feel for you is not something I falter in. It's everything that comes with it. You and I.. I have never been so sure about anything else in my entire existence." 

I'm sure you all know what happens following this. Bobby Singer gathers the remnants of his family in his living room, rolling his wheelchair to the front of the group as the ones who stand behind him position themselves for the camera. Cleopatra squishes herself between Dean and Castiel, the eldest Winchesters arm thrown over her shoulder while the Seraphs envelops her waist. 

This all feels entirely reminiscent of the last family photo Cleopatra was a part of, back when every member of her family was still alive. This is the most like family she's experienced since the loss of her brother and father - And the thought of it makes her heart ache. Because even thought Cleopatra has never felt safer then tucked between the arm of her soulmate and her closest friend... 

It is guaranteed that at least two of them will not make it, and her family will be ripped apart. _Again. _

"Tomorrow we hunt the Devil." Castiels gravely voice echoed in the silence. "This is indeed our last night on Earth." 

***

Their arrival to Carthage was nothing short of the most uneasy silence she'd ever heard. After Dean and Sam relayed that they were going to check out the Police Department, she and Castiel decided to be Jo and Ellens celestial backup in case they were in need of it. 

That was until they both saw the enormous group of Reapers that lined the city blocks, rooftops, sidewalks. "This town isn't empty." Castiel murmured. "It's full of Reapers." 

"_Reapers?" _Ellen replied skeptically. "As in more then one?" 

"They only gather like this at times of great catastrophe. The Chicago Fire, San-Francisco Quake.. Pompeii," His blue eyes flickered to the form of the Nephilim at his side. "Cleo, stay with these two. I need to find out why they're here." Before Cleopatra could argue, Castiel took off down the road and vanished into a nearby building. 

"Awesome. I love it when he goes and does stupid crap and doesn't tell me what it is." 

The five of them reconvened at the center of town where Ellen further disclosed that Cas had gone off alone and asked Cleopatra to remain behind for a reason he had not spoken about. It wasn't until she allowed herself to comprehend the extent of the situation that it hit her - Lucifer was the cause of all of this. 

Lucifer was _here_, and Castiel had gone to confront him _alone. _

"Guys," She cried out in alarm. "I've gotta go. Cas, he's- Oh _crap-"_

Before the Winchesters could lunge outward and catch her, Cleopatra had honed in on Castiels location and appeared in the shadows of a dilapidated bedroom - The center of the room lit up by a ring of holy fire that had the Seraph confined within its grasps. 

"_So I take it you're here with the Winchesters?" _

Cleopatra inhaled sharply at the new voice - one she had never heard before. A newfound feeling of dread and fear settled heavy in her stomach as a figure emerged from the shadows - and she didn't dare to look twice after seeing the _thing _that lurked inside the vessel. The darkness said it all. Lucifer had finally come out of hiding to wreak havoc on the world. 

"I came alone." 

The Devil clucked his tongue in distaste. "Yeah, that's not true either. You know that Nephilim of yours?" Castiel felt his breathing hitch in his vessels chest as Lucifer met his gaze, which softened at the mention of Cleopatra. "Holy crap, man! I haven't felt such a power since Dad made all us Archangels.. and she's not even the _child _of an Archangel. The power she possesses.. that is something that I crave. True destruction at its finest."

Cleopatra heard her fathers voice ringing in her ears, clear as day, as she emerged from the shadows behind Castiel. He was reciting a verse she had heard often as a child - One she had kept close to her heart even into the beginning of her adult years. 

_Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your Christian brothers and sisters all over the world are going through the same kind of suffering you are. _

"You will not go near her-" Castiel snarled. "She is off limits to you." 

"I don't think she is." Lucifer retorted, peering around the Seraph to gaze into the shadows. "Why don't you come on out there? Let me see those gorgeous golds of yours." 

Cleopatra took a strong step forward and stepped around the ring of holy fire to allow Lucifer clear visibility of her face. "He's right, you know." Her eyes flickered to the melted gold that so often accompanied the presence of a Nephilim, and the Devil grinned eagerly at the aura of anger that radiated from her. "I am off limits to you."

"See, that's the thing. I think you and I are gonna form a _remarkable _relationship." Lucifer watched Castiel from the corner of his eye as he stepped up to Cleopatra, raising his hand to run the tips of his fingers over her prominent cheekbone. Cleopatra remained unfazed, chin raised in defiance as the Devil stood inches before her - Her darkest fear, running his fingers over the same skin Cas so often praised. But he had never seen an angel so attached to a human. Not like Cas was to Cleopatra. "What a peculiar thing you are."

Lucifer didn't understand love. Love was weakness, a beacon for tragedy. If these two were destined to be together, then they would only fall to darkness and lose each other. It was a given - And he couldn't _wait _to see it unfold. 

"Your vessel is.. peeling." Cleopatra uttered, wrinkling her nose as he stepped away from her. "What's wrong with your vessel? Wearing a bit too thin for you?" 

"Nick is wearing a bit thin, yes. He's not supposed to contain me forever."

The implication was quite clear as both Cleopatra and Castiel stepped forward in defense of the youngest Winchester. "You-" Castiels gravelly voice echoed in the emptiness of the near vacant room, eyes dark with malice as Lucifer locked eyes with him. "You are not taking Sam Winchester. I- _We _won't let you." 

"Castiel.. Cleopatra.. I don't understand why the two of you are fighting me. Of all the angels-" 

Cleopatra shrugged. "Oh, I don't know?" She snapped. "Maybe because you are actually _Satan? _You manipulate and lie because it's fun for you? Do I actually need to go on?" 

"I rebelled. I was cast out. You rebelled, you were cast out." Lucifers accusing thumb shifted from Castiel and Cleopatra. "And you.. you even being born was an act of rebellion. You are the second person that all of Heaven wants to see dead besides myself. And if they succeed in killing me? You, Cleopatra Carter, are their new public enemy number one." 

"I'm not going to be the one killed by angels." She replied. It was astounding how calm her voice was despite the fact Lucifer had clearly stated that Heaven wanted nothing more then to see her dead. "I'm going to be the one to kill them. And you?" Her smile widened. "You terrify me, but guess what?" 

_You know where fear come from? _

"My Daddy told me a long time ago that fear is a liar. And you know who happens to be the Prince of Lies? Prince of Darkness? That'd be you, Luci." Lucifer grimaced as Cleopatra stepped away from him, anger flaring in his chest. "Your act isn't gonna work here."

Castiel nodded in agreement. "I'd rather die first then help the likes of you." 

"I'm sure you will." 

She moved to utter something to the Seraph under her breath and was frozen by the sound of guttural screaming - the type of scream that breaks free when you are in the most immense type of pain. It wasn't Dean and Sam, and it was too high to be Ellen. _Jo. _

"Go." Cas urged. "They're going to need you more now then ever. _Go." _

With a snap of her wings, Cleopatra fled the scene of Lucifer towering over Castiel and emerged onto the main sales floor of an abandoned store, the tiles slick with blood that trailed down the center aisle directly to where Jo Harvelle was being positioned against the wall by her mother.

"Cleopatra!" Dean suddenly appeared in her view and wrenched the Nephilim forward, hastily throwing her down at the feet of the blonde. "Heal her!" Cleopatra frowned at the scattered supplies that surrounded Jo's mutilated body - Propane tanks, wiring, rock salt, iron nails. All the makings of a perfectly made bomb. "Do it! _Heal her!" _

Her wounds were far too fatal for her to even begin mending Jo's body, let alone healing her entirely. Cleopatra lifted her eyes to meet Deans panicked expression as she gently shook her head. "I can't." She said quietly. "These are fatal, and they're too deep. I-" Tears blurred her vision as she sank to the floor. "I can't." 

"I already told these two what you're doing to do, but they don't seem to want to listen." Jo swallowed the bile in her throat as four pairs of eyes settled on her. "We let the dogs in, you guys make a break for the building next over. I can wait here with my finger on the button and rip those mutts a new one. Or at least get you a few minutes head start, anyway-" 

Cleopatra gripped Sams leg for support when Ellen decided to speak up, her voice so closely mirroring her mothers when Josiah had left town with her brother for the hunt he'd never come home from. It seemed like every single hunt the Winchesters were involved in, someone lost their life. 

Every time. 

"No-No. I won't let you!" 

"Mom, this is why we're here. Right?" Jo's eyes flickered to Dean. "If I can get us a shot on the Devil, we have to take it." Deep, guttural sobs echoed in the room as the Winchesters and their Angel remained silent, choosing to give the mother and daughter a moment of grief over what was to be an inevitable loss. 

"Well you heard her, get to work." 

Building bombs took alot less time then Cleopatra had anticipated. After twenty minutes of work, Dean and Sam were standing near the doorway that lead to the staircase, which would in turn take them to the roof. She waited quietly for the elder Winchester to say his goodbyes to a girl he loved as his own family, and a death that would sit on his shoulders forever. 

"Cleopatra, c'mere." Jo called out weakly. Cleopatra turned from her spot where she had been guarding the door and shifted in the warmth of the leather jacket that enveloped her. "Boys are waiting for you, better be quick about it." The blonde winced as she lifted her head to gaze at the piercing eyes of the woman across from her. "Those boys love you. And if you've won the hearts of the Winchesters, that isn't something to take lightly." 

"Jo-"

She held up a hand, motioning for her to remain silent. "They need someone with a heart like yours. And if you are the woman that Dean told me about so many times... They need someone to look after them. _Please-_" Her voice broke as tears cascaded down the dirt tracks on her cheeks. ''Please look after our boys." 

Cleopatra managed a weak smile and nodded in acknowledgement. "Okay, for you. I'll take care of them for you." She glanced between Ellen and Jo and softly waved, unable to say anything else as she sprinted towards the staircase that led to the roof. Her fingers fumbled for a hold on Dean as he hastily grabbed her hand, dragging her along side him as they navigated the side of the building and jumped into the adjacent alley far enough away from the blast site. 

The sky lit up in a haze of orange. Dean bowed his head in remembrance of his fallen friends alongside Sam, who snapped over to Cleopatra as she peered down the street. "Cleo, go get Cas." He ordered. "Dean and I will take care of Lucifer. We need both of our angels in order to do this well." 

_I'll take care of them for you. _

"Cas can take care of himself. We'll see him again shortly." Her answer shocked both Dean and Sam as Cleopatra unsnapped the sheath on her thigh and removed her angel blade. "We've got an archangel to kill, boys. After you." 

The three of them ended up in a small clearing just on the outskirts of town. Multiple people stood in single file lines that stretched about a dozen deep, most vacantly watching the figure who was continuing to dig a deep hole before them. Firelight danced across her face as Cleopatra looked to the Winchester brothers, nodding in acknowledgement before she quietly exited the treeline behind Dean. 

_I guess that was what happened to the towns people. _

She could practically feel the aura radiating in the night air. _Death. Death. Death. _The chant rung in her ears as Sam emerged from the darkness to confront the figure over the hole, who when he turned around revealed himself to be Lucifer. "Hey!" Sam yelled. "You wanted to see me?" 

Lucifer frowned as he wiped his hands on his jeans. "Oh Sam, you know that you don't need that gun here. I would never hurt you." He casually remarked. "Not really." 

She caught Sams side eye even with the darkness that had fallen, emerging from behind his tall form and extending her hand outward. "You really do suck at lying, you know." Cleopatra retorted, curling her fingers and smirking as Lucifer arched his back and suddenly began to gasp for air. "But let me tell you something, Luci. He'd hurt you."

Dean cocked the hammer on the Colt and fired, the shot ringing through the night as Lucifers vessel fell into the mound of dirt behind him. Cleopatra held her breath -- almost to see if he'd be completely unaffected by the shot -- and cursed under her breath for the split second of joy that reflected in her smile.

Because then Lucifer stood back up. 

"_OW!_" He snapped. His eyes narrowed in on the Colt still firmly grasped in Deans hand, completely oblivious to the look of shock on his face. "Where did you get that?" A moment passed before the Devil backhanded the elder brother into the nearest tree, leaving him unconscious. That unfortunately meant that Sam and Cleopatra were on their own. "Now. Where were we?" 

It was incredibly difficult to not leave Sam alone and allow her fear of the Devil to run her judgement. Cleopatra swallowed thickly and desperately tried to ignore the pounding of her heart that was slowly working its way toward her throat. Trembling fingers slowly outstretched toward Sams, desperate for an anchor to prevent her from running, and Cleopatra breathed a sigh of relief when he linked his through her own. 

Despite his fear of her rejection and her fear of his darkness, Cleopatra Carter and Sam Winchester still cared about one another. She was not about to let him become the vessel of the Devil. 

"Don't feel bad, Sam. There's only five things in all of Creation that gun can't kill, and I happen to be one of them. But if you give me a minute.. I'm almost done." He scooped up the shovel from the ground and continued digging. "You know.. I don't suppose you'd just say right here and now-" 

Lucifer was met with a pair of menacing gold eyes almost instantly. He only had to work a little bit harder to pry the true rage out of Cleopatra Carter -- and that was when he'd receive the full fury of the Nephilim. Wings included. "Over my dead body, you arrogant douchebag." She snarled. Sam rested a hand on her shoulder as he stood to his feet from checking on one of the townspeople. 

"End this whole tiresome discussion, kill your Nephilim-"

"It's never going to happen!" Sam exclaimed. 

"Oh I don't know Sam, I think it will. And I think it will happen soon, somewhere within six months. And I think it'll happen in Detroit. And she will be there to watch you drown." 

Cleopatra pursed her lips and allowed her eyes to flutter shut, her free hand tracing the Enochian runes that lined the hilt of her angel blade. _The magic is all in the rune work. _All of the questions that had been running through her mind for the day all circled back around to courage. Why didn't she have enough courage to just _kill _the Devil? Was she strong enough to get the job done? Was she capable enough to protect the Winchesters? 

Her thoughts flickered back to Chuck Shurley, who she had not seen in quite some time. He had been the one to confirm to her that she would faithfully remain at the Winchesters side. Would be loyal to the Seraph she would grow to love. 

_"Cleopatra, you are surely more then enough for the Winchester boys. They've never known what unconditional love feels like, and that's something you exhibit quite strongly. You are good enough to heal the broken, to save the dying, and to guide the lost in being found." The crinkles around his eyes grew prominent as his smile widened. "You're the savior these boys and angel need."_

She only heard two words of Lucifers endless tangent about the townspeople - Horsemen, demanding. Her eyes flickered to the massive hole behind Lucifer and she felt her stomach drop at the thought of how many corpses were lined up inside of it. 

"I know what you must think of me, Sam. But I have to do this. I _have _to. You of all people should understand what that means."

Sam tilted his head in confusion. "What is that supposed to mean?" 

"I had a brother. An older brother, like you, who I loved. And when I asked Michael to stand with me, he turned me down. Called me a freak, a _monster. _And he beat me down all because I was different, because I had a mind of my own. Tell me something Sam. Does any of this sound familiar?" 

Cleo had used the shadows to her advantage to sneak back through the treeline, her gaze falling on Dean who was still beginning to rise from where he lay on the forest floor. The young woman knelt down and wrapped her arm around his waist, heaving him up with ease and guiding him back to where Sam stood. 

"We offer up our lives, blood, souls to complete this tribute." 

The demons inside of each man that stood before them suddenly exploded in a haze of orange light, each vessel collapsing to the ground as the being inside of it died. 

It was only when she moved to urge Sam into hiding that Cleopatra heard his call, a.. yearning, of sorts, that originated back in Carthage. Wherever Castiel was, he wanted her to help him. Part of her kinda wanted to see if he could escape his predicament. 

"Stay safe you two," She said quietly. "I've got an angel in Carthage who may need my help. Pray if you need me. I'll hear it." Before either brother could argue, the Nephilim disappeared in a flutter of wings and landed back in the same spot she'd been in hours earlier, but to a completely different situation. 

There was a girl standing before Castiel, who was slowly working to unscrew the bolts that held the largest pipe against the ceiling in place. Once the pipe fell, she was guaranteed to plow straight into him. She wasn't very tall - standing at only an inch or two shorter then her, with dark curls that cascaded over her shoulders and wicked eyes to accompany her.

Dean had told her about this demon back in the store. _Meg. _

"_Your God may be a deadbeat, but mine? Mine walks the Earth." _

Anger flared in her chest as Cleopatra emerged from the shadows, meeting Megs eyes for a split second before she flicked her wrist and sent the demon straight into the Holy Fire. Castiel whipped around and gaped at his girlfriend, who was staring at him through angered gold eyes as Megs screams became more pained the longer she held her there. 

"Cleo, honey?" Castiel urged. "You've made your point. Put it out." The Nephilim tilted her head, clearly confused as to why Castiel would have sympathy towards a demon, but nonetheless snapped her fingers and extinguished the ring of holy fire. "We need to get the Winchesters. Grab my hand." 

Cleopatra made no move to argue as the two of them worked together to retrieve Sam and Dean from the sight where Death was to be raised, leaving Lucifer with nothing but a glowing white light that dissipated into darkness. 

***

The fire was a welcome sight. 

As Cleopatra leaned into the warmth of Castiels embrace from where they stood in the kitchen, he intently listened as she quietly disclosed the detail of Jo and Ellens death. His thumb rubbed circles onto her hand that rest over his own on her stomach, both pairs of eyes keenly watching the Winchesters and Bobby Singer as they cast their family photo into the ashes. 

Small accomplishments. She'd faced her biggest fear today - The Devil who claimed to be so much like her. But she wasn't a liar, wasn't manipulative.. and poured her entire heart out to those willing to take it. But with facing that fear had come the first loss of what was supposedly many to come. 

Loss was not something she dealt with well. Bottle it up, bury it. That was a habit she'd carried for quite some time. And even though she had not known Jo long, she still felt the pain that radiated from Sam and Dean over such a loss. These boys -- who had grown up soldiers and were bred for war -- wanted nothing more then to save the world from the monsters that went bump in the night. 

No matter how hard they tried to be the saviors of human kind, Sam and Dean Winchester still continued to lose everything else instead. It was in their blood - To be born into destruction and blood and fire, and to inherit a kingdom of Ash. 

But even in the ashes... A phoenix still can rise. You just have to wait for it. 


	27. Team Free Will

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They're her boys.   
He's her soulmate.   
But all together, they're family.

_"What if fate had made things different?" Dean asked, more to himself then to Castiel and Cleopatra. "What if Sammy had never been born? Who would I be now?" _

******

If God were real, Dean Winchester was sure that he'd be going to Hell for the lustful thoughts that he was having about Cleopatra. Sure, he wasn't surprised that she happened to be the one in the angel costume dancing before him in a strip club, which happened to be one of the few places that she herself would never step into in the first place. 

"_Gods," _He murmured, screwing his eyes tightly shut as her form sauntered over to him. "_If Cas could see me, he'd kill me." _Bright gold eyes met his own as a finger tantalizingly dragged across the five o clock shadow on his face, and Dean swore he felt the gentle caress of a feather on his skin before the sight was replaced by Anna. "_Anna?" _

"_Dean, we need to talk."_

_***_

"Gabriel, for the _last time_," Cleopatra snapped, stomping around Bobby Singers lot in frustration. "While I appreciate the phone call, I'm not at liberty to tell you if Castiel and I have slept together yet!! He barely has the energy to kiss me, and on top of that.. You are my _uncle! _It's weird!" 

"_I'm just checking up on you kid," _Gabriel replied softly. "_And besides, it's been a couple of weeks since I've seen you. I gotta check up on my niece every so often to make sure that Tweedle Dee and Dum haven't screwed you up too badly." _Her lips quirked upward in the ghost of a smile as she continued to disappear in between the rows of battered cars, unaware of Castiels departure from the home in search of Anna Milton, their renegade angel. 

"We're good." She said softly. "He's very sweet to me, and I... I adore him, simply put. It's not going to be long before he is my everything." 

"_There's nothing I want more for you then happiness, Flower. Just remember," _Gabriels voice dropped to silence, leaving Cleopatra uncomfortably shifting in her combat boots as she awaited the end of his sentence. "_Having everything means you have more to lose." _

And despite the ominous undertones of his revelation, the two bid goodnight to one another and ended their phone call. Cleopatra exhaled through her nose and rubbed her hands over her face in a futile attempt to keep herself awake as she followed the sound of Sams voice back to the porch of the house. "Hey hon." She called out, drawing the younger Winchester from his dozed off state. "Everythin' okay?" 

"Yeah.. I'm just thinking about all that's happened recently." Sam said. "What Lucifer told me about how I was his vessel.. and how Dean and I are the chosen vessels of Heaven's Most Terrifying Weapons that will bring about the end days. It's like the word _chaos _is a part of the Winchester family name." 

She felt Sam's pain down to the core of her heart the moment his tortured eyes met her own. It had been clear to her from the first time she'd seen him that Sam Winchester was not built for the hunting life. The boy had wanted to build his own destiny from the moment he'd found out the truth about his life and his mother, hence why he'd run away from his father and brother to pursue a career in law and nearly married Jessica Moore in the process. 

The supernatural had obliterated this _boys _chance of a normal life, and even though the same had happened to her, Cleopatra's heart ached for him. She ached to heal his gaping wounds and reassure him that he was good, that he was beneficial to the turning of the universe. Sam and Dean Winchester were Earth's Defenders, the heroes who would defeat those monsters that lurked in the dark.

"You are not chaos." Cleopatra whispered, nearly so softly that if he hadn't already been listening, Sam wouldn't have heard her. "You are purer then diamond and sweeter then honey... And your heart is softer then the finest silks. You and your brother both, Sammy.. You two are honorable men. You are _good._" She sank to her knees and rested her forehead against his own, smiling as a shuddering breath broke past his lips. "And I believe in you. Is that enough, just for now?" 

Sam nodded firmly. "Believe me, it's more then enough." 

Dean called her and Sam from a motel not too far away from Sioux Falls, and so the two of them ventured together in a junker to meet the elder Winchester and her angel. They stumbled upon Castiel in the middle of drawing a sigil for what looked to be a location spell, bowl cast to the side as he gripped a piece of chalk in his hand. 

"Tired?" Dean questioned as the Nephilim glared at him, flicking her middle finger in his direction as she laid on the bed parallel to Cas. It was very rare for her to feel such a state of exhaustion -- given that Nephilim didn't sleep -- but there had been so much going on recently that she wasn't the slightest bit surprised by it. "Take a nap, sunshine. I'm sure it doesn't take you too long to regain that-" 

She had already passed out before he'd even finished his sentence. 

"I give her ten minutes before she's fully rejuvenated." Castiel said. "And besides, we will need her." Sam folded his hands against the inside of his thighs as he lifted his gaze high enough to look at Cas. 

"So, this plan to kill me.." He said, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. "To stop Satan, is that even something that would actually work?" It was something that had crossed his mind multiple times, but Sam had never been... selfish enough to resort to such drastic measures. That would mean leaving Dean alone.. and he wasn't okay with it. 

"No." Castiel interjected. "As Dean so frankly put.. Anna is a, 'Glenn Close.''' 

"I don't understand this." Dean uttered under his breath. "Why are we looking for the chick who wants to gank Sam? Why bother poking the bear and provoking it?" 

"Because Anna is determined, and she's not going to give up until Sam is one hundred percent dead." After completing the ingredients for the spell, Castiel murmured something in what both brothers thought was Enochian, illuminating the room in a gold light as a wisp of smoke curled upward and went into the Seraphim. He stumbled backward momentarily, nearly falling on Cleopatra in the process as he struggled to find his footing. "I found her." 

"Well, where is she?" 

"Not where, when." Bright cobalt eyes met Deans, and for a split second he felt alarmed at how alert Castiel was by his discovery. "It's 1978."

"_What?" _Sam exclaimed indignantly. "Why would she go to 1978? I wasn't even born yet, neither were Dean and Cleopatra!" A sickening thought clouded Castiels mind as he gazed down at the sleeping woman, having completely forgot that both her mother and father were actively involved in the lives of the Winchesters during that particular time. He needed her power to get the four of them to that year, but what would she do upon realizing that it would give her another opportunity to see her deceased father?

"You wouldn't have to be, if she kills your parents." He replied informatively. "And Heaven will never be destroyed if the Nephilim aren't born." Both brothers attention shifted to Cleopatra, who had begun stirring at the word. "Keep in mind that both her parents were dear friends to yours. They will most likely be present as well. But currently, Anna can't get to you because of me, so she's going after them." 

"Take us back right now." Dean voice dropped dangerously low. "Back to our parents, back to the Carters-"

"And deliver you right into Anna's hands? No. I _should _go with Cleopatra. Two is easier then four." 

"_Cas-"_

"It's not as easy as you think it is. Time travel alone was difficult even with the powers of Heaven at my disposal. Having a Nephilim would double my chances of successfully getting there, but there is no guarantee. I'm telling you, me being the primary transport to do this with other passengers will most definitely weaken me.'' 

Cleopatra blinked the twenty minute nap out of her eyes and slowly sat up at the waist, wrapping her arm around Castiel as she brought herself to her feet. "I'll take care of you." She said quietly, grimacing as she moved to clear her dry throat. "Besides, my mother is pregnant with Reagan in 1978. She won't be hunting, but if _either _of you need angelic assistance in regards to Anna.." She reached into the pocket of her coat and produced a picture from when she was barely a year old, cradled in her fathers lap while Alexandria held Reagan against her chest. Gabriel had taken the picture. All of them were smiling. 

It was one of her favorite photos, and one of the only ones that she always kept close to her heart besides the one inside of the Enochian inscribed locket. 

"Ask Josiah Carter, and tell him his daughter from the future sent you." 

***

By the time she opened her eyes, Cleopatra and Castiel were pressed together against a car parked along the sidewalk in front of _The Old Candle Factory_. The air was warm and smelled faintly of cigarettes and gasoline, and the sound of car horns rang clearly in the air. "Cleo-" Cas breathed, his expression softening when the Nephilim turned her head to look at her boyfriend. There was a trickle of blood descending from his nose, cobalt eyes weary as he scanned her for injuries. 

"I'm fine, sweetheart." She reassured him, resting her hands over his own as she helped him to his feet. "You, however, are not. C'mere." Castiel leaned all of his weight into Cleopatras side, fingertips that hung over her shoulder dancing along her bare skin as she slowly began making her way down the street. Dean and Sam urgently rounded the corner and took Castiel from her arms just as he fell unconscious. "Help me rent him a room, boys." 

"What are you gonna do?" Sam questioned. 

Cleopatra cupped Cas' face in her hands and pressed her lips to the crown of his forehead. "I told him I'd take care of him. So that's exactly what I'm going to do." 

Dean emerged from the hotel less then twenty minutes later just as Sam was ripping a page from the phonebook. "I rented out the honeymoon sweet for Cas and Cleopatra, five nights. Told the manager _do not disturb _no matter what. Wanna know what he said to me?" Sam's brow furrowed as his brother flashed a vicious grin. "Wanna buy some dope?? _Dope! _We oughta stick around here and buy stock in Microsoft." 

Sam snorted in disbelief. "Yeah, we might have to if Cleopatra can't help Cas recover." He said. "Do you think he's alright?" 

"What do I look like?" Dean said in response. "Doctor Angel, Medicine Woman? He'll wake up. He's tough for a little nerdy dude with wings, and besides.." The elder Winchesters piercing emerald irises flickered up to the window, where he briefly caught sight of Cleopatra bustling about the honeymoon suite. "He's got a good woman looking after him." 

"If he landed like that, maybe Anna did too. That should buy us some time." 

"Yeah. Did you find them?" Sam held up the pages he'd ripped from the phone book, the last names **_Carter _**and **_Winchester _**circled in pen. 

"Carter, 484 Robin Tree and Winchester, 485." 

"Well then, let's go pop in on the folks!" 

***

After what felt like an eternal shower and a dinner brought to her by the hotel service, Cleopatra finally began tending to Castiel. He was still floating in and out of consciousness, occasionally murmuring her name in his sleep. She had only regained her energy an hour beforehand, when Dean had left her with the details of what he and Sam were planning to do in regards to her father. 

"_If anything goes south, we'll be sure to let you know." _

That hadn't helped to sate her growing nerves, but Cleopatra forced herself to focus on the weakened angel in her bed and bring him back to full strength. Her bare feet padded against the plush carpet as she moved to kneel on his side of the bed, eyes keenly scanning his half clothed form as she gripped his arm in her hands. Dean had taken the liberty to remove his suit and trench coat along with his shoes, leaving Castiel in his button up and pants. She'd find clothes for him at some point. 

"Alright Cas," She whispered. "Let's see if this'll work." Murmuring in Enochian, Cleopatra allowed her life force -- her grace -- to filter from her fingertips and encompass Castiel in a golden aura as his vessel absorbed the energy that flowed from her. She watched in awe as the color in his skin began to return, pinking up the apples of his cheeks as he slept. Part of her had hoped that his eyes would open when she began healing his vessel, but to no avail. 

And so Castiel slept on. 

"You scared me to death, you know." The Nephilim pulled her hair behind her shoulders and maneuvered Castiels body so that he was lying on his side, granting her the ability to lean up against the headboard and open her arms to him. He sank into her embrace almost reflexively, head resting above the gentle thrumming of her heart as he laid his hands beneath his cheek. "Spent all this time making sure that I was kept hidden from the prying eyes of the angels, and it was all to keep me safe. I can't even keep _you _safe, Castiel. And I know the hunting life is a risky business where people die constantly, hence why Sam and Dean rely so heavily on one another..." Her voice faded into silence as she raked her fingers through his hair. "I don't care what happens to me. I haven't for quite a while now.. But-"

"I care about what happens to _you_." Cleopatra felt her heart nearly stop as she was met with two cobalt eyes she adored. 

"Castiel-" 

"No." His voice was firm as he sat up and turned his body around to face her. "I am not good at conveying my emotions. You of all people know this to true, and it brings my thoughts back to the same conclusion - I am not good enough to be loved so deeply by someone as yourself. But no matter my sins or the consequences of the choices I have made or will make, _you _are my future. The woman I will fall in love with, if I haven't already." Tears filled her eyes as Castiel shakily exhaled and scooted closer to her, his weakened frame held up by her own body as he pulled Cleopatra into his lap. "And there is nothing I will not do to keep you safe. You are my safe haven.. my _sanctuary.. _and that is not something I can lose." 

The only sounds in that moment were heavy breathing, brought upon by the onslaught of emotion in Cas' declaration. Cleopatra did not dare to move a muscle for fear that he'd disappear the moment her delicate hands left the warmth of his vessels flesh. 

"Cleopatra?" 

"Yeah?"

Castiel swallowed thickly, almost in a nervous manner - and that was when she realized that his gaze was slowly shifting from her own eyes to the shape of her mouth. If she looked hard enough, Cleopatra could see his pupils dilating at the thought of finally pressing his lips to her and committing the feeling to memory. But the longer he stared at her, the more she recognized the forefront of nerves seeping into his expression. 

She had given every palpable signal she could to convey how prepared she was for him to kiss her. Head tilted, hips arched and opened toward him, eyes lingering on his own before shifting to his mouth. "Hey Angel." She whispered, playing with the unruly curl that formed right behind his right ear. "It's just me. _It's just me." _

Castiel cursed himself for being so cowardly when it came to human expression of an feeling such as the one he harbored for Cleopatra. "I'm sorry." He whispered, nearly to himself, for the fear of her rejection was one he did not want to confront. 

"We can take you and I as slow as you want. It's like I told you before." Her nose skimmed the column of his neck before settling just at the opening of his ear, her lips inches away from his earlobe. "_I'd wait an eternity for you." _

*** 

Alexandria Carter knew something was up as soon as she saw the strangers standing across the street, 

Resting her hand over the swell of her protruding stomach, the young woman paraded back through the living room of their home to greet her husband in the kitchen. Given that she was so close to her due date, Josiah had taken it upon himself to do most of the work around the house and allow her more time to rest her aching feet. 

"Jos? Honey?" Alex called out, grinning widely when her husband turned to face her and revealed the spaghetti sauce spattered on his crisp white teeshirt. "There's two men outside that I've never seen around here before, and they're beelining for John and Mary's house. Will you go see what's going on?" 

Josiah wiped his hands on his jeans and made his way toward the front door, pausing by the side table to remove the Enochian inscribed angel blade that was hidden in its top drawer. It had been his trusted weapon during the Heavenly battles he'd taken place in and was a final reminder of the home he'd been abandoned by. 

"Hiya gentleman." Deans head snapped towards the door opposite his parents house, eyes widening in alarm when he recognized the form of Josiah Carter coming towards the two of them. "It's getting awfully late, and nobody goes to other houses at this time of night. What's your business here?" 

At the same time, Mary opened the door and frowned at the sight of her neighbor - who she had seen that morning when he and John had gone to work. The two of them worked across the street from one another, and Mary spent most of her time tending to Alexandria as she prepared for the birth of her son. "Oh, I'm sorry. We're Sam and Dean." Dean extended his hand in greeting, as did Sam. Both were ultimately star struck at the depth of their predicament. "Mary here is a distant cousin, and we're in town for work. We thought we'd say hello." 

Mary had known that Josiah Carter was different then the other men she knew, including her own husband, but she had never had the guts to ask him _why. _"You two can't be here right now." She spat. "Sorry about them Josiah, they are just leaving." 

"I'm sorry, but this is important-" Dean stopped mid sentence as John appeared behind Mary, beaming as his best friend waved in greeting. 

"Evening, Jos." John remarked. "Wife feeling any better then she was this morning?" Josiah twirled his angel blade in between his fingers from where he stood beside the door, nodding in acknowledgement just as John gazed upon the two strangers. "Mary, honey... Who are these nice folks?" 

"These are my cousins, Dean and Sam." Mary replied dryly, gritting her teeth from behind a closed lip smile as John shook Dean and Sam's hands. The younger Winchester could not seem to pull himself out of his awed stupor at the sight of his mother -- so young and so _beautiful _\-- and alive at a time before he'd ever seen in the pictures Dean kept of her. All Sam had of her memory was based off of pictures. 

Now he was seeing the real Mary Winchester. 

"Well, Sam and Dean were just on their way out." 

"_What? _They just got here!" John exclaimed. "Please, I don't know many people from Mary's side of the family.. Come inside and have a beer." Josiah poked his head in the door and held up a single finger.

"I wanna talk to these boys for a moment, John. Gotta ask them a couple questions about their line of work they were telling me about." Josiah called out. Sam swallowed thickly and excused himself from the presence of his parents to speak to Cleopatra's father, taking that moment to truly look at him for the first time since the hunt where he and Reagan had been killed. 

Cleopatra had only begin scraping the surface when describing him to Sam. He was nearly as tall as the younger Winchester, with bright piercing eyes and a sturdy, broad frame that mirrored his own. Long blonde hair that had been neatly combed at one point now hung over his browbone, giving the angel a look of innocence to his expression. The only difference between Sam and Josiah was their choice of clothing, and the familiar Angel Blade tucked into the sheath at his side. 

"Nice blade." Sam murmured casually. Dean appeared only a moment later, claiming he and Sam would be in shortly as he fell into his place by his brothers side. "We have a friend who owns one just like it." The angel frowned at the declaration as his keen eyes shifted between both brothers, who looked more then prepared for an impending violent altercation. 

"You two are more then simple humans." Josiah said. "Hunters, by the look of you. That's why Mary knew who you were. But you're the first humans I've ever seen who recognize an angel blade _and _an angel on sight. So tell me, who are you, what time period are you from, and why are you _here?" _

Dean decided to take the opportunity to answer. "Our names are Sam and Dean Winchester. We're the children to Mary and John.. and your daughter from the future sent us here." A chill unlike anything he'd ever felt spread through Josiah's bones as Dean removed the picture Cleopatra had given him earlier, angling it in the moonlight so the angel could see who was in the photo. 

It was very clearly himself and Alexandria, with a young blonde boy and a beautiful raven haired baby girl. They were all smiling so brightly that it made his heart ache -- and then he dared to flip it over and read the writing on the back of the photograph. 

** _the most perfect family of celestials _ **

** _Taken by Gabriel in December '82_ **

But underneath that was different handwriting, this message much more feminine and given the legibility, more recently written. 

** _Dad,_ **

** _These are my boys, Sam and Dean. They're here to help protect Mom and Reagan, and save the Winchesters from a certain death. You can trust them. They'll keep you all safe._ **

** _\- Your future daughter_ **

"Is- Is Alex is danger?" He questioned softly, afraid of the answer that might follow. Dean gently took the photo back from the paralyzed angel and secured it in the pocket of his coat. "Do I need to move her somewhere safer? Because I can-" 

Sam clasped Josiahs shoulders. "Mary and John are in danger from a fellow angel who we are told was in your garrison. Her name is Anna." The angel grimaced at the mention of his former comrade, who he had visited several times on Earth after her fall from Heaven. She had barely remembered him the last time they had spoken. "She's looking to kill Mary before I can be born so what's going on in the future doesn't happen. But if she can take out the Nephilim destined to destroy Heaven-" 

"_My Nephilim _is destined to be the destroyer of Heaven?" It was spoken so uncertainly, a deep voice full of terror of the unknown for his children, that Sam regretted his words instantly. 

"No. Your Nephilim is kind, compassionate, faithfully loyal and more humble then any person we know." Sams eyes widened as the words Dean had been holding in for months finally came tumbling past his lips. "She is the only woman willing to die for a shell of a man like me, and I love her all the more for it. That is who _your _Nephilim is."

***

"You are very tired, dear one." Castiel inquired as Cleopatra ambled about their hotel room. The TV was playing _Grease _for the second time that morning as the angel lay upright in the bed, keenly watching his companion as she cleaned herself up. "Please come and eat some of this breakfast." 

"I don't eat alot, Castiel." Cleopatra retorted as she squeezed the excess water from her hair. It was the beginning of Day 2 into their 5 day stay inside this honeymoon suite, and Cleopatra was incredibly grateful that Dean and Sam had allowed the two of them the rest and relaxation they both needed to recover. "Besides, you're the one I'm supposed to be worrying about." 

"My vessel is still weak, but your grace has given me a newfound sense of strength that will help my own slowly return." He outstretched his hands and wiggled his fingers, motioning for her to join him in the bed. Cleopatra grinned widely and nearly fell into his arms, nuzzling her head just under the crook of his jaw. Castiel wrapped his arms around Cleopatra and pressed a kiss to the crown of her forehead, his eyelids fluttering at the warmth that radiated from her body. It was the most peace he'd felt in days. 

That was until her phone rang. 

"I don't want to get it-" Cleopatra groaned, flipping off the phone in the corner of the room as Dean's name repeatedly rang in the air. "But I'm guessing he has news on his parents and my own... so I probably should." The Nephilim untangled herself from Castiels arms and bound across the room to answer her phone just before Dean got voicemail. "Hello?" 

"_Hey Cleo. It's me." _

_"_How're you guys doing?" She inquired as she subconsciously tucked a stray hair behind her ear. "How're Mary and John? What about my mom-"

"_Hold it there, Sunshine. Slow down." _Dean replied softly. "_Mom and Dad Winchester are a little shaken up from the angel fight we had with Anna last night. We're currently at the Campbell family cabin. Your own father hasn't moved from his house since we told him we were his daughters best friends from the future and were here to save our parents." _

_"_Cas is getting better-" Cleopatra interjected. "His vessel is still weakened from the travel, but the color is returning to his cheeks every time I use my grace to heal him. He responds positively to it, so I consider that good progress." 

"_Good to know. Maybe that means we can get out of here faster." _Dean exhaled a shaky breath as Sam met his eyes from across the room. His younger brother was the only one to know the feelings he harbored for the Nephilim, fully aware that Dean never intended to act on them. She wasn't his -- She was _Castiels. "I told her. I told her she was my mom.. and Cleo, the-"_

_"_The feeling that settled in your heart with how she took your news?" She replied softly. "Mary Winchester made a demon deal and left her babies behind. completely unaware of how her death would affect them. How her sons would be the chosen vessels for a catastrophic war between Heaven and Hell, and how tortured their souls will become because of it. That _specific _feeling, Dean? It's dread. You're dreading what's coming because it all stems from her." 

"_Couldn't have put it any better myself. Ya know.. I've been watching Sammy since we got here, and he won't stop looking at her." _The thought of Sam so in love with the sight of his mother made her heart sink -- because he had been relying on pictures for so long to have any type of memory, but now here she was; Mary was alive and well, but he wasn't born. Sam's birth was still years away. "_Thinks she's the most beautiful woman he's ever laid eyes on, and God.. It hurts to know he never knew her. Never had a relationship with her." _

_"_I bet it does." 

"_And then it got me thinking of how screwed up her death made me, and how my only source of happiness in the past year has come from one person. That'd be you, princess.." _Cleopatra felt her breathing hitched as a wave of tears blurred her vision, luckily hidden from the sight of the Seraph behind her who had fallen back asleep with her untouched breakfast at his side. "_You showed me and Sam the love we never got from our mom. Unconditional love, and I can't thank you enough for it." _

The words were there, resting on the tip of her tongue. She had known since their conversation in the dead of night at Bobby's junkyard how deeply she cared for the Winchester brothers, but every time she said the words "_I love you," _someone ended up dead. And she wasn't willing to put herself through that kind of pain again. Not yet. 

"You boys be safe." Cleopatra murmured into the phone. She scooped up the sheath that encircled her thigh and threw on her jacket over the white teeshirt she wore, phone tucked against her shoulder as she slid on her shoes and scribbled a note for Castiel. "I'm gonna go check on my folks." 

** _left to check on mom and dad_ **

** _Be back in an hour _ **

** _\- C_ **

***

Cas was gonna kill her for being so ridiculously stupid. 

Josiah had seen her standing out on the roadside nearly ten minutes ago, but Cleopatra had been too paralyzed to move because of Sam's mantra of prayers for her help. She could just walk straight inside -- It was the same house she'd grown up in. But the longer she thought about approaching her parents and confessing to them the sealed fate of their eldest Nephilim, the more her stomach clenched at the thought. 

If Anna came around, Cleopatra was sure her father would move heaven and earth to ensure that Alexandria was never touched by the Heavenly Host. He was a capable soldier, one who held high ranking in his garrison and was highly respected by his fellow angels. Josiah could handle his own. 

"If I could only gather the strength-" She halted in her words and softly shook her head. Better to dwell on the future then the past. "I leave the fate of your children to you, Father." 

She arrived just as the windows of the Campbell home exploded, caused by the high pitched noise that usually accompanied an angelic presence. All four Winchesters were hunched over on the ground with their hands palmed over their ears to block out the noise as the owner of the voice appeared in the doorway of the pantry. "Who are you?" Dean questioned, angel blade tightly held in his grip. 

"I'm Uriel." 

Her senses heightened significantly as Sam pulled John and Mary behind him in a futile attempt to protect them from the angel. "Let's see, which angel do I wanna take out today?" Cleopatra remarked sharply, removing the blade from her sheath and expertly twirling it between her fingertips. "Mr. Debbie Downer over here, or the sociopathic redhead with a fetish for murder?"

Hell broke lost almost the moment Cleopatra decided to speak. Before she could comprehend what was going on, her body was positioned perfectly between Anna and the Winchester parents, who were both confused at the sight of the new arrival. "Hey Cleopatra." Anna said in greeting. "Sorry to have to do this." 

"I'm gonna kill you anyway." She snarled in response. "Might as well have fun with it."

Gold eyes flashed in the darkness as Anna slammed John through the window and out into the night, his body crumpling just before it made impact with the ground. Cleopatra had jumped out behind him in hopes she could catch his body before he fell, hands outstretched as she slowly lowered him into the grass. "Sit tight John!" 

"_Sammy!" _

Sam Winchester gasped as a piece of sharp metal impaled him through the heart, hands weakly coming to grip the object as he felt blood begin to seep through his shirt. Cleopatra quietly pulled Mary back into the foyer and checked her over once to ensure she was safe before rushing into the living room and gripping Anna by the back of the head. The redheaded angel shrieked in pain as she clawed at her captor, hopelessly attempting to pry herself from her vice like grip. 

Cleopatras lips stopped just above Annas ear, eyes still gleaming a dangerously bright gold. "No one touches my boys." A piercing scream broke past Annas lips as Cleo slammed the heel of her boot into her foot, simultaneously crashing her head through the side table that sat beside the sofa. Before she could do any more damage, every hair on the back of her neck stood to attention at the familiar, powerful presence that entered the room. 

"_Cleopatra. Anna." _

The Archangel Michael had taken hold of John as a vessel. 

Almost instantly did Cleopatra shove Anna in his general direction, hands raised in surrender. Gabriel used to tell her stories of the power the Archangel possessed, and after what he and Zachariah had done to her and Cas in Heaven, she had no desire to ever be on the receiving end of his wrath. "We aren't on the greatest of terms in the future, but you're more then free to do what you want with her." The eldest Archangel smirked at the pair of eyes that stared back at him -- the color of melted gold that so often portrayed the divine power of the Nephilim. He had always been fond of the color. Just not the abomination. 

Michael laid his hand on Annas shoulder and vacantly watched as the angel inside of the vessel spontaneously combusted, streams of blue fire igniting from her eye sockets as the vessel and angel were reduced to nothing but a heaping pile of ash. He allowed no hesitation in snapping the other angel out of the room, most likely sending him back to Heaven. 

"_What did you to do John?" _Mary demanded. Cleopatra took the opportunity to squeeze past Michael and into the kitchen with Dean, heaving his arm over her shoulder as the two of them watched the encounter between the Archangel and Dean's mother. 

"John is fine." 

"Who, what are you-" 

Mary fell silent as her eyes rolled back into her head and she fell unconscious to the floor. Michael turned his attention away from the soon to be mother to the only two people still alive in the room, both of which were watching him expectantly. "Well, I'd say this conversation is long overdue, wouldn't you?" 

Dean wasted no time in his demands of Sam's life. "_Fix him." _He snapped angrily. 

Michael held up an individual finger to signify that he clearly had other things to discuss before the life of Sam Winchester. "First, you and I and the Nephilim talk. She's got as clear a part in this as you do." He replied. "And even though I'm sure she could fix him if she had the strength, I'll be nice and do it for you. But that's only after we talk." 

"How did you get into my dad anyway?" 

"Told him I could save his wife, and he said yes."

Deans lips quirked upward at the side -- a true sign of contempt. She wasn't surprised. All of the Archangels were on her hit list, all except her Uncle Gabriel. "Looks like they oversold me when they said I was your one and only vessel." He remarked, clearly unsatisfied with the outcome of John becoming Michael's temporary vessel. 

"You're my true vessel, but not my _only _one." Michael said. "It's a blood line that stretches back to Cain and Abel. It's in your blood, it's in your fathers blood. Your family's blood. Just as it is in her blood to be the destroyer of the Heavenly Host. All half breed are born for war. That is how it was always written." 

_And that is how it will always be. _

"Awesome." Dean said flatly. "Six degrees of Heaven bacon. What do you want with me? With us?" 

''You really don't know the answer to that?" 

Cleopatra roughly shook her head. "If we knew the answer to that, we wouldn't be asking. Now would we?" Michael took a step towards Dean and she felt all the muscles in her body individually tighten, which caused her reflexes to ignite as her fingers wrapped around her angel blade. 

"Relax, Cleopatra." Michael cooed, almost as if she were a screaming child in need of comfort to calm itself down. "I am not here to kill either of you. I want Dean to understand what he and I have to do. And if you're still doubting your role in being mediator, I think you should ask Gabriel what your purpose is in all of this. He's more then capable of telling you." 

"No, you don't talk to her. You talk to _me." _Deans sternly spoken words forced Michael to shift his attention back to Dean. "Oh, I get it. You have beef with your brother. Well, get some therapy pal! Don't take it out on my planet!" 

"You're wrong. Lucifer _defied _our Father and he betrayed me... but still, I don't want to have to kill him anymore then you would want to kill Sam." Michael moved back toward Sam and cast his gaze towards his mutilated body. "You know, I practically raised my brother. I took care of him in a way most people could never understand, and I still love him. But I'm going to kill him because it is right, and I have to." 

"Oh, because God said so?"

"_Yes." _

_"_Did God tell you to let Gabriel just run away?" Cleopatra interjected. "To let your baby brother off into the world only to fall in love with his fallen brothers family, and to leave them alone during their most tragic time? What kind of a Father lets his son _love _something he isn't even supposed to touch? Wha-" 

"Silence, Nephilim." The raven haired womans hands drifted upward to her mouth, which was still poised to speak but found no audible words being spoken. "And to answer your question, no. Gabriel chose all of that himself. Leaving Heaven, befriending Josiah.. And this family of his you speak of, it would not surprise me. That was always Gabriels problem." Michaels expression softened at the thought of his baby brother, who last he had heard was helping Josiah's wife prepare for their first child. The first Nephilim in centuries. "He always had too big of a heart."

Michael cleared his throat and bowed his head as he continued. "From the beginning, God knew how this was going to end." 

"Oh, and so you're just going to do whatever God says?" 

"Yes, because I am a good son." Michael said. "We have been given orders to allow the Nephilims birth, _both _of them. Gabriel will not stand for these children he claims to love being killed by any angel, so he has taken responsibility of both children who are to be under his care." His gaze snapped to Cleopatra, who inhaled sharply as Michael removed the silencing magic he'd placed over her. "Consider him your guardian angel." 

"Trust me pal, take it from someone who knows." Deans voice fell dangerously low as he grit his teeth. "That is a dead end street." 

"And you think that _you _know better then my Father?" 

Cleopatra had had it drilled into her head from a very young age that God was identical to that of an all seeing eye - He saw all, he knew all. He had her image formed before her parents had even thought of conceiving her. Had known what kind of influence she'd be to the people of her life. Who she'd fall in love with, who she'd lose, who she'd die for. God already knew the outcomes of every decision Cleopatra would make. 

Dean, however, had a different idea. 

"One unimportant little man? What makes you think you get the right to choose?" 

"Because I got to believe that I can choose what I do with my unimportant little life!" 

Michael clucked his tongue. "You're wrong. You wanna know how I know? Think of a million random acts of chance that allowed John and Mary to be born. To meet, to fall in love, to have the two of you. Think of the million random choices that you make, and how each and every one of them brings you closer and closer to your destiny. Why do you think Cleopatra came into your life when she did? Why do you think Castiel pulled you from Hell? Do you know why that is?" Dean's silence only further prompted the Archangel to speak. "Because it's not random." 

_We were always headed here. _

_"_It's not chance. It's a plan that is playing itself out perfectly. Free will is an illusion, Dean. That's why you're going to say yes." 

"Not as long as I'm standing here, you aren't." Cleopatra growled. "Now, I know the typical protocol for something like this is mind scrubbing, so that way they don't remember any of the encounters with the other angels and yourself-" 

Deans head snapped upward and toward his mother, who he clearly was uncomfortable with having her memory scrubbed of their time together. "You-" His voice broke apart as Dean tightened his grip on Cleopatras shoulder, his only stable lifeline to keep him from breaking. "You can't do that!" 

"I'm just giving your mother what she wants. Her husband, her children, her life-"

"She's gonna walk right into that nursery!" Dean exclaimed. It took her a moment, but Cleopatra then realized why Dean was so apprehensive about Mary forgetting everything he'd told her since they'd been here. About himself, about Sam, about the Carters, Mary's death.. She wouldn't remember the truth about any of it. She'd go back to being Mary Winchester, Alexandria Carters best friend. She wouldn't remember what was to come. 

And that broke his fragile heart. Because no matter how hard he tried to save her, Dean still wasn't able to prevent his mother from dying. 

"Obviously. But you knew that was how it was going to play out, one way or another." Michael bent down and rested his hand against Sams leg. "You can't fight City Hall." Cleopatra shifted Dean in her embrace so he was instead leaning all of his weight against her shoulders, hands hanging limply above her chest as he rested his chin against her head. 

In the blink of an eye, Sam disappeared from the pool of blood that had gathered on the floor, leaving nothing but rusted metal behind. "He is home, safe and sound. Your turn. I'll see you soon, Dean." 

The dead weight of the eldest Winchester disappeared from her back, leaving Cleopatra alone with the Archangel. She instinctively wrapped her wings around her body for further protection, gold eyes peering out from behind a mass of pure white feathers as Michael smile down at her. "I'll be seeing you again, Michael." 

"That you will, Cleopatra. That you will." 

***

She found Castiel on the sidewalk outside their hotel the next morning, swaying in his place as he prepared to travel back to their current time. Cleopatra reached him only a moment before his imminent departure, wrapping her arms around his neck as he wrapped his own around her waist. "Rely on me, angel." She whispered, the light of the sun reflecting in the green-blues of her eyes as Cas rested his forehead against hers. "Rely on me." 

Sam gasped when Cleopatra and Castiel both appeared in his vision, visibly weakened from their travel as each angel fell against the pair of brothers. "Cas, Cleopatra!" Dean exclaimed. "Holy crap, you both made it!" Castiel grinned lopsidedly at the Nephilim as Dean wrapped his arms around her own to help her stand to her feet. 

"Did we?" He retorted weakly. "I'm greatly surprised." 

"Woah-Okay-" Sam and Dean dragged both bodies and gently rested them on the bed, straightening their clothes as they stared at the conscious pair curled into one another. "I think I'm gonna need that drink now." Dean crossed the room and grabbed a bottle of whiskey from the bar, pouring both himself and Sam a glass as they watched their friends sleep. "So, this is it." 

"This is what?" 

His lips quirked upward in the ghost of a smile. Dean had been thinking about a group name for the four of them for quite a while -- but the title hadn't hit him until Michael's statement about free will. "_Team Free Will. _One ex blood junkie, a dropout with six bucks to his name, a halfbreed born for war and her angelic soulmate, Mr. Comatose over there." He brought the glass to his lips and took a long sip. "It's awesome." 

Sam clearly wasn't amused. "It's not funny." 

"Do you see me laughing?" 

The younger brother deeply exhaled as he thought back to how hellishly Cleopatra had been fighting to prevent him and Dean from saying yes to Lucifer and Michael. "They all say that we'll say yes. And they all say that Cleopatra is the only reason we'd ever say no." 

"I know. It's getting really annoying." Dean replied. 

"But what if they're right?" Sam inquired. "What if she isn't strong enough to get us to say no? What if she isn't enough?" He hated himself for asking the question, but it had been ringing in his head since the vessels of Heaven and Hell had even become a part of the conversation. 

"She _is _more then enough." Dean stated, quite sure of his confidence in the younger woman. "They're not right." 

"I mean, why would we.. either of us, but I've been weak before-" 

"_Sam." _

"Michael got Dad to say yes." Dean felt his heart sink in his chest as he turned to regard his brother. "Even though that was only because it was to save Mom.. if you could save her, what would you say?" 

The two men were greeted with the most uneasy silence they'd ever heard. He didn't need an answer tonight. The world could keep on turning for one more day without knowing what Dean Winchester would say to his mother. 

Although it was probably something along the lines of, "_I'm sorry I wasn't enough." _


	28. Heaven Isn't Home - The Winchester's Demise

_ **[ dark side of the moon ] ** _

_they told me i was enough to save you both from yourselves_

_but then I realized,_

_if I can't save me... _

_How am I supposed to save you?_

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

She has never felt such heartache, such _guilt, _until she walked into that hotel room. Dean had begrudgingly sent her for breakfast (which he had asked amidst a deep slumber for) less then an hour ago, and she had come back back to the pungent copper smell of blood. 

"_Looking for this?" Dean slowly rolled himself over to his back as he was face to face with the end of a double barrel shotgun, the unmistakable sound of the magazine leaving his gun echoing in his ears. Sam remained motionless on the bed parallel to him. _

_"Mornin'."_

_"Shut up. Put your hands where I can see 'em." The assailant barked as he raised his own weapon higher in his line of sight. Dean felt his stomach drop as his brow furrowed, emerald eyes narrowing in on the man in front of him. _

_"Wait a minute. Is that you Roy?" His lips turned upward into a smug smile. "It is, isn't it? Which makes you Walt." Leave it to Dean and his overly sharpened tongue to piss off the two people holding guns to both of their faces. _

The breakfast had been discarded in the adjacent kitchen over twenty minutes ago. Her stomach growled in protest from the lack of food she'd eaten, but Cleopatra couldn't seem to pry herself away from the corpses that lay in the beds before her. Their skin was cold and ashy, lacking its vibrant color she so often saw exhibited in the midst of an adrenaline rush during a case. 

"Oh God-" A cry built up in her throat as she sank to her knees in front of the bedside table, trembling hands reaching outward to grip Sam and Deans limp hands. Her blurred vision remains locked on the carpet of the motel room as her head begins to spin -- and everything came crashing down at once. "I have always done my utmost best to honor you. But _please_, I can't keep seeing all this death, feeling this _guilt. _Keep ripping people away from me and it will eat me alive." 

"_Well is it just me or do you two seem a tad upset?" Dean inquired as he halfheartedly shrugged his shoulders. Roy and Walt simultaneously removed the ski masks that had hidden their faces and tossed them to the side. The eldest Winchester said a silent prayer of thanks that Cleopatra wasn't in the room to witness them get killed by fellow hunters -- She had always said her wrath came in the face of those who did wrong and never repented for their choices._

_Murderers. Liars. Thieves. _

_He would've hated to see two humans get ripped apart by the most powerful being on Earth. _

_"You think you can just flip the switch on the apocalypse and just walk away, Sam?" Walt pressed. Sam furrowed his brow and leaned forward, clearly confused by the implication. He had been under the assumption that no one had known about his involvement in releasing Lucifer from the Cage other then his brother, Cas, Cleopatra and Bobby. _

_"How did you know about that?" _

_"We ain't the only hunters after you." _

_The minute that the shotgun cocked, Dean immediately began a desperate prayer to both of the Winchesters angels to save him and his brother. His prayer was heard too late._

Cleopatra stands to her feet and swallows the bile rising in her throat as she examines the gunshot wounds on both of the boys. Whoever had shot them had clearly been wanting to get the job done. Had it been any other pair of brothers, it was guaranteed that they would stay dead. But the _Winchesters? _They didn't seem to have the patience to remain six feet under for all eternity. 

The ringing of her cell phone, the name **Cas **glowing on the main screen, was what pulled her from her stupor. Cleopatra deeply inhaled as she ran her hands over her face and held the phone to her ear. "Hi sweetheart. Everything okay?" 

"I assume that you have found the boys bodies by now." 

Castiel too had heard Dean's prayer too late, claiming that he would be along to join the four of them for breakfast earlier that morning when she had called him from the diner. "Yeah, I've found them. Whoever did them in knew what they were doing." She replied quietly. "I-I'm not sure how much more of this I can take." 

The Seraph felt his heart clench at the ache in her voice. One could only take so much loss. so much bloodshed, before it became too much to bear. "The Winchesters are not so easily swayed. Need I remind you that they prefer not to remain dead." Her lips quirk upward into a soft smile as Cleopatra tucks a stray curl behind her ear. "Please, honeybee. Come join me. We'll figure out how to communicate with Dean and Sam in the beyond when you arrive." 

"Which beyond are they in?" 

Castiel smiles at the thought -- Dean Winchester in Heaven, reliving the few pure memories of his childhood alongside his kid brother. It was the happiness that the Winchesters deserved but were never given the pleasure to live. "_Heaven." _He replied dreamily. "They're in Heaven." 

***

_"Dean." _

Was he hearing things? Nephilim were forbidden from entering Heaven. Where on Earth was Cleopatra's voice coming from? 

"_Dean!" _

Dean kneels down to peer at the radio of the Impala, which had been blaring _Knocking on Heavens Door _until it had received the incoming transmission from his best friend and her boyfriend. "Cleopatra?" He called out nervously, afraid that if he didn't respond, she'd turn out to be a figment of his imagination. "Is that you hon?" 

"_Yeah, it's me. Cas and I are both here." _

Dean felt his lungs expand and the weight on his chest dissipate as he breathed a sigh of relief. "Look, you know that you're my favorite, but you and Cas have gotta stop poking around in my dreams." He said. "I need some me time." 

"_Dean, listen to me very closely." _Castiel replied. "_This is not a dream." _

_"_Then what is it?" 

"_Deep down you already know." _

His mind flashed back to the altercation between himself and the two rogue hunters looking to take out Sam and himself. How angry he became looking at his brothers corpse _again, _how relieved he was that Cleopatra wasn't in the room to witness his murder, how elated he felt when he entered Heaven and relived his favorite Fourth of July alongside Sammy. _That _was the version of his brother he wanted to always remember. The one who hadn't been destroyed by hunting. 

"I'm dead." 

"_You scared the crap out of me, D." _Cleopatra breathed. "_I left for less then an hour to go get your extra greasy bacon and eggs, and when I came back... I swear my heart stopped when I saw you and Sam. Despite how many times the two of you may have died already.. I can tell you that this girl doesn't have the strength to see the dead bodies of two men she loves more then anything else in this world." _

"Cleo-Can you or Cas tell me where I am?" 

"_Cas told me you're in Heaven. And D-_" Dean feels his stomach flip as static overwhelms the lull of her voice. "_This spell, this connection.. Cas is the only reason it's being maintained. We don't have a ton of time." _

_"_If I ended up in Heaven-" Dread filled his features at the thought of Sam -- alone and confused -- and in his exact place when he'd been in Hell months beforehand. Dean didn't want to even maintain the possibility of his baby brother being tortured relentlessly for a crime he didn't commit. "Then where is Sam?" 

"_Dean-" _Castiels gravelly baritone took the place of Cleopatra's soft spoken soprano. "_What do you see?" _

_"_What do you mean?!" He snapped. "I'm looking at the dashboard and I'm in my car, on a road!" Out before the Impala lay a stretch of empty, vacant road -- his favorite to drive on-- that spreads out along a curve and vanishes into the darkness. The moon was his only source of light, brighter then he'd ever seen it on Earth, and accompanying a blanket of stars that spread out over a vast plain that seemed to go on forever. 

"_Dean, follow that road. Follow it and you'll find Sam." _

That was his only clue as to where he was to go as Castiel and Cleopatra's connection cut out, leaving Dean with nothing but the open road and the security inside of his Impala. 

***

When the effects of the spell finally wore off, Cleopatra lunged outward and flopped down onto the bed of the hotel room that she and Castiel had rented out for the next few days. The Seraph stepped back into the room with the takeout they'd had delivered to their hotel room, lightly gripping the boxes as he set them on the desk beside the TV. 

"Sweetheart," He called warily. "Your pacing is going to wear a hole in the floor. Why don't you come eat?" 

Cleopatra grumbled from where her face was pressed in the pillow. "Don't wanna." She whined lowly, tilting her head so her gaze was cast toward the window. Cas' lips quirk upward in a smile as he sat at her side, lightly raking his fingers through her dark hair to calm her nerves. "Worryin' about the boys has got my stomach all knotted. I just wanna get them home." 

"Well, I brought you a friend to help out with all these... issues." 

The familiar fluttering of wings caught her attention as Cleopatra rolled over on her side to come face to face with Gabriel, who held up a bag of her favorite lollipops in his opposite hand. "Hiya cupcake," He mused, parting his messy blonde hair to give her a clear view of his eyes. "Did you miss your favorite Uncle?" 

"You mean," Cleopatra paused as she rolled from her stomach to her back. "The Uncle who has been keeping secrets from me?" 

Gabriel frowned at her implication and motioned Castiel out of the room. The Seraph disappeared in a flutter of wings, leaving the two of them alone for the first time in weeks. "Now, what does that mean?" He asked, sitting on the edge of the bed as he waited for her answer. 

"I had a grand talk with your brother in the year of our Lord, 1978." Cleopatra snapped angrily. "He proceeded to tell me that every single decision I have made has been influenced by you. How I just.. _ran _into Castiel? On you. How you always came into my life as a child at the most convenient times? On you. How my _father _died-" 

"I told you this once, Cleopatra." His voice dropped to a dangerous low as the Nephilim sat up at the waist. "What happened to your father and your brother? That was not on me. But believe me.. Nobody felt it the way I did-" Gabriel knew his words were a mistake the moment they came from his mouth, because before he realized what was going on, Cleopatra had him pinned against the wall with her grace. 

''_You weren't there!" _She yelled, tears trekking down the subtle features of her face as Gabriel prepared himself for the hardest reality check in millenia. "I prayed to you! _Momma _prayed to you! And when the mighty Archangel didn't come to rescue me.. I knew you'd fallen further then Dad had claimed." Cleopatra pushed damp strands of hair from her face as she tucked her legs beneath her. "Michael said that everything that has happened to me isn't random. That it's fate. And the only thing I keep thinking is that this is some cruel _joke." _

Had he not been so concerned about her mental state, Gabriel probably would've chuckled at her joke. 

"What do you mean?" 

"Is it fate for me to keep watching all of the people I love get ripped apart in front of my eyes? First my brother, then my father, and you've been out of my reach for far longer then I realized.. and now-" Cleopatra inhaled sharply as the image of Sam and Deans corpses flashed behind her eyes -- never to breath the air of this Earth again unless she and Cas were successful in bringing them home. "Sammy and Dean.. They've both died, but I wasn't there. I... I can't take any more death. Any more loss. And now that I'm falling for that angel outside my door.." 

"You're afraid that fate is going to tear him away from you too." Gabriel replied as he finished her sentence for her. Cleopatra pressed her lips in a thin line as she swiped her fingers across her cheeks, not remotely surprised to find them damp. "Because to you... Everything you ever love, or have loved, dies before you can do anything about it." 

Guilt bloomed deep within Gabriel as he knelt at the front of the bed. It hadn't even occurred to him that Cleopatra would still be grieving over the loss of her family members so long after their initial deaths. Here he had thought that encouraging Castiel to go meet the '_pretty lonely girl at the country park' _would've brought some type of joy into her life that would help her get over everything she had been through. Apparently it hadn't. 

"Sunflower, I need to tell you something." Gabriels normally mischievous gaze softened as he cupped her face in his hands. "Michael wasn't wrong. _Technically, _I was assigned to be both yours and Reagans guardian angel. Even after I befriended your father, the real reason I was always around was for you kids. Josiah was the added extra. He was the one who convinced me to leave Heaven for good to be with his family." His lips quirked upward into a somber smile. "Daddio opted to keep you alive because he knew, as he always did, that you were going to be a pivotal influence in the live of the Winchesters. And that someday.. You'd make one of His own sons fall from grace by falling in love with the most beautiful soul He had ever created. That's what He knew going into creating you." 

"That I would be extraordinary?" 

"That you would be one of the bravest, kind hearted women to walk the Earth. And that no matter what was thrown at you, no matter how hard you fell," Gabriel took Cleopatras hands in his own and held them loosely as they stood to their feet. "You'd always get up again." 

***

"_Cas!" _Dean exclaimed, continuing to turn the knob on the radio by the door. After finding Sam in the middle of a Thanksgiving dinner in which he claimed to be one of his early memories, the Winchesters had encountered a foreign beam of light that had shaken the entire first floor of the house. Unfortunately for them, neither happened to know what it was. "I found Sam.. but there was this beam of light-" 

Both of the brothers turned towards the flickering TV behind them -- where the visual of Castiels face was distorted due to the waning strength of their connection between Heaven and Earth. "Don't go into the light!" Cas replied urgently. "It's Zachariah. He's searching for you." 

"And if he finds us?" Sam asked. 

"You can't say yes to Lucifer and Michael if you're dead, so Zachariah needs to return you to your bodies." 

Sams eyebrows shot up in surprise at what he had assumed was the solution to their returning to Earth, only to find out that he was entirely wrong for thinking such a thing. "Great, problem solved!" He said eagerly, almost _too _eagerly, as Dean intently listened to the Seraph on the TV. 

"No, you are behind the wall. This is a rare moment of opportunity."

"Despite the fact that we literally have angels coming out of, you know, _everywhere.. _I am curious to know something though." Dean inquired. "What's so special about Joshua?" 

"Well, given that I can't return to Heaven, the rumor has it that he talks to God. Pretty frequently too." Bitterness dripped from Cas' words as his blue eyes narrowed irritably. "So don't you think that maybe we should find out what he's been saying?!" 

A clattering noise in the background of the television distracted Castiel, if only for a moment, as he rattled on about an angel named Joshua they needed to find in the Garden of Eden. Dean understood the Seraphs desperate search for the Father who had abandoned him entirely, but he was not keen on having to confront the memories that he'd be seeing during his time in Heaven. 

Or the people he'd encounter. 

"Man, it's times like these that I'm missing Cleopatra. Alot more then I care to admit." Sam said quietly, brow furrowed in confusion as Dean looked around the new room they had landed in. It was very reminiscent of his childhood bedroom back in their family home in Lawrence. "She'd know exactly what to say right now." 

"Yeah." Dean whispered. "Yeah, she would." 

Sam spent the next fifteen minutes while watching his brother and his mother in the kitchen thinking about what Dean had said to Josiah when they'd returned to 1978 to confront Anna. How fiercely protective he was over Cleopatra, the little hints he kept dropping about how he truly felt towards the Nephilim. But much to his surprise, he had never come to act on it because Cleopatra was betrothed to his best friend. Dean had formed a relationship with their mother as a young child, but had never been able to learn how to openly love anyone after her passing. Not until Cleopatra had come around and shown both of them that they were capable of being loved unconditionally. 

He saw the vulnerability in Dean's eyes. How soft he was at the mention of the two women he loved most. But it wasn't until he moved to embrace Mary after her argument with John on the phone that Sam heard it straight from his brothers lips. 

"Don't worry Mom." Dean murmured, loosely wrapping his arms around Mary's waist as she wrapped her own around his neck. "Dad still loves you. I love you too. I'll never leave you." Mary remained silent as she pulled away from her son, eyes still locked with his own as he continued. "But there's this girl.. and I love her too. I just didn't realize it soon enough. I'll love her just as much as I loved you." Warm hands cupped his jawline as Dean swallowed the lump growing in his throat. It had been seared into his memory since a young age that his only _true _purpose in life was to fulfill the role of a soldier. Dean Winchester just happened to be a man with far too much blood on his hands and little room for redemption.

Or so he believed.

He wasn't good enough for Cleopatra, but if he tried hard enough to be a better man, her influence would help mold him into one. "And hopefully that'll be enough." 

Dean frowned as he crossed the threshold of the kitchen and met Sam's eyes. "What?"

"I just.. never knew how long you've been cleaning up Dad's messes." Sam replied. "Let alone how you really felt about Cleopatra."

As always, Dean brushed off his comment and motioned him out the door. 

***

Castiel quietly sat on the bed of the motel room conjoined with Dean and Sams with his elbows propped against his knees, head bowed in fervent prayer for the brothers currently evading Heavens soldiers. He was prepared for the Winchesters to return to Earth with a new perspective on saying yes to be _the _vessels, but it wouldn't have surprised him to find out that they were adamant more then ever to deny the Archangels entirely. 

"Still believe your Father is out there listening to you?" Cleopatra asked quietly, folding her hands against her lap as she took a seat at his side. Castiel swallowed the lump in his throat and allowed his hand to ghost over his thigh and interlace his fingers with her own. "I hope he is. I have to say.. your faith astounds me, Cas." 

"And why is that, honeybee?" He murmured in reply as he laced their fingers together. A wave of warmth spread through her body, prompting the smile that lit up her face. 

"I had so much faith in my father when I was young, and he was the one who taught me about my faith in _his _Father. God has been a constant in my life since I was a child, and when my father was taken from me and my mother... I resented him." The confession sounded bitter as it rolled off her tongue. "And after all this time, going at this world alone, I commend you for keeping your faith in a Father you have never met."

Castiel was unsure of what to say. While Cleopatra was right about him never meeting his father, he had never considered how.. absent his prayer was. It didn't matter that God was entirely capable of preventing the Apocalypse, saving the Winchesters from a cruel end.. He had been praying, and the answers to his prayer had not been seen as of yet. Everything just felt.. _empty. _

Until he looked at the light -- _his light -- _sitting beside him.

"Thank you, Cleopatra."

The sound of wheezing caught her attention as Cleopatra lunged through the door adjoining their rooms, only to come face to face with the vibrant green eyes of the youngest Winchester. She threw herself into his arms without a second thought, oblivious to Deans reawakening in the opposite bed as she buried her face in his neck.

”I’m here, Cleo.” Sam reassured as he raked his fingers through her hair. He turned his body to an angle that allowed him to see Dean. “Are you alright?” 

“Define alright.” Dean muttered in reply. His younger brothers eyes narrowed as he recognized the tremor in his hands, and how his fingers were outstretched to eventually pull Cleopatra into his arms. A reassurance to him that she was here, he was _alive_, and they were safe. 

Castiel entered the room a moment later and listened as Dean recanted everything that Joshua had told him and Sam in the Garden. Cleopatra was still curled up in Sams arms, head resting against the curve of his bicep. It was hard to believe that the two of them had been at each other’s throats a year ago, when he had been influenced by the demon blood. 

“Maybe Joshua was lying.” Cas said. 

Sam gently shook his head. “I don’t think he was Cas. I’m sorry.” Castiels shoulders slumped as he stalked toward the door but found himself frozen in place, for Cleopatra was preventing him from leaving. 

“Honey, I’m going to need you to move-“ 

“No.” Her response was blunt as she extended her arms to either side of the door. Castiels lips quirked upward in a smirk as her wings did the same. 

“Excuse me?” 

“You don’t get to fly away again. I told you your faith was admirable.” His heartbeat stuttered when her eyes flickered to their dangerous gold — a warning to not ignore her words. “You heard me. I said no running.” 

The Seraph heaved a deep sigh and lifted his eyes toward the ceiling. “I don’t even have the words to convey how angry I am at you.” He said flatly. “I believed-“ 

Cleopatras gaze softened as Cas’ cobalt eyes met her own, an unspoken feeling of abandonment lurking deep within them. He turned sharply towards the brother and reached into the pocket of his coat to produce an item he threw in Deans direction. 

He caught the amulet with ease. 

“I don’t need that anymore. It’s worthless.” 

Unnerved by the growing tension in the room, Sam took the initiative to step forward first. “Cas, wait-“ But before either brother could argue, the Seraph and his Nephilim were gone without a trace — leaving the brothers alone once again. “There has to be another way. We can still stop this, Dean!” 

“How?” 

“I don’t know, but we’ll find it.” The hope that lingered in Sams tone made his heart ache as he moved towards the door. “You and me.. We’ll find it!” 

Dean paused in his steps as he lingered in the doorway. He took one glance at the jewelry in his hand — a symbol of hope that maybe God could prevent an inevitable end — before he dropped it into the trashcan with a clang. 

So much for hope that someone was looking out for them.


	29. Mourn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cleopatra has to come to terms with one thing: Gabriel is not immortal, and people are always going to be taken from her.

_“Everyone can master a grief but he that has it.” _

_\- _ ** _William Shakespeare_ **

<><><><><><><><><><><><><>

Everything around her is cold. The air smells of blood that's pungent enough to taste on her lips, electrified by the raw anger that radiates from her skin. Her wings are aching from how long they've been numbly curled around her form, but she can't find it in her to relax. All she can see is a body. 

Or more specifically, his body. 

_The newness of the night encompasses the Impala as Dean and Sam pull up to the parking lot of Elysian Fields hotel. The torrential rain that slips down the windshield isn't doing their trip any favors, and with the detour on the main highway, there had been nowhere else to turn to except the secluded hotel in Indiana. _

_It isn't long before the brothers check in for the night, Dean immediately heads for the buffet as the growling of his stomach intensifies, emerald eyes flickering to his phone for any sign of Cleopatra. Days had passed since she and Cas had made their entrance in the town that had its townspeople turning on one another in the name of the Lord. The pair had barely spoken for quite a while, until Cas had nearly passed out from his drunken stupor after killing the Whore of Babylon._

_Story for another time. _

_Dean slipped his phone from his pocket as Sam sat across from him, fingers idly hovering over the keys as he pondered what to say to Cleopatra. _

** _from: dean_ **

** _Hey you, busy night?_ **

_It was in the middle of reiterating to Sam that they would find a definitive way to beat Satan that she decided to answer him. _

** _from: cleo_ **

** _Cas is still on the mend. Trying to boost his self esteem is hard, but i'm worried about you boys. Pray when you need me most.. and i'll be there. _ **

Her ears are ringing with the words that Castiel snapped at her when she had prevented him from killing Dean, after learning that he had been planning to give himself over to Michael. Having found out that their half brother was also a potential vessel was bad enough, but when Dean had attempted to give himself over?

They might as well have rained down fire and brimstone from the heavens. It wouldn't have matched Castiels anger in that moment. 

"I rebelled for this? So you could surrender to them?! So I could be _petrified _of falling in love with a woman who could be ripped away from me at any waking moment?!" 

What a peculiar statement. _Ripped away. _Implying to have been snatched, or stolen.. To never be returned to its rightful place. The confines of her aching heart now ripped open and bleeding from having watched his sacrifice unfold. He had been ripped away from her far too fast, far too _soon. _

_After the disappearance of the honeymooning couple, Dean and Sam opted to split up to search for any evidence about the suspicious hotel and its secrets that lurked in the shadows. There had been no evident EMF, no hex bags, no sulfur.. but a numerous amount of weird occurrences that neither of them could explain. _

_It wasn't until they entered the kitchen that the brothers caught on to what was happening, and soon found themselves in the grasps of several bodyguards accompanying the guests in the main ballroom. Each male and female wore the label of a specific God/Goddess from numerous religions around the globe. _

_"Oh..'' Sam murmured quietly. "We are so, so screwed." _

_Dean nonchalantly began leaning to his left to easily whisper to his younger brother. "Cleo said to pray to her if she was needed. Now seem like the opportune time to do that?" He replied urgently. _

_As soon as Sam nodded, Dean bowed his head and began muttering a reverent prayer to the only living Nephilim as the powerful beings sat before him continued arguing about their fates._

_It wasn't until a familiar archangel burst through the door, complete unaware of his nieces presence lurking in the shadows of the hall, that Dean and Sam felt an inkling of reassurance that maybe they were all going to make it out of this alive. Make it out in one piece. _

She should have never responded to their prayer. All it had done was cause her more heartache then she needed, and Cleopatra was - _hadn't _been willing to take another funeral. But that was her curse -- To be at the beck and call of the two humans who relied on her more then anyone in their lives, and to watch those she loved most be ripped away from her. 

_"Loki, why are you here?" Baldur jeered._

_Gabriel curved around Dean and Sam to regard those before him. "To talk about the elephant in the room - Not you!" He said shortly, holding up a single finger towards Ganesh. "We can't stop it gang. But first things first," Gabriel sharply turned on his heel to face the perplexed brothers behind him. "The adults need to have a little conversation." _

_And with a snap of his fingers, Dean and Sam found themselves back in their hotel room. It was mere seconds after their arrival that they recognized the familiar fluttering of wings and glanced upward to meet the bright, panicked eyes of their best friend. _

_"What on Gods - Why is Gabriel here?" _

_Dean lunged forward and pinned Cleopatra against his chest in a crushing hug. "'m so glad you're here, kid." He murmured in her ear as Sam pried her from his grasps to return the warm embrace she had been craving from them. Winchester hugs are the best there is - don't let anyone tell you otherwise. "We really need your help." _

_"You boost our moral." Sam mused. Despite his growing anxiety over the situation, he winked at the younger woman who beamed at him in response. Every time he saw her smile in the worst situations -- no matter the circumstance -- it always lifted his spirits. That smile could get them through anything. "So here's the question, what do we do now?" _

They should've run. 

_"We bust the poor saps out of the freezer with our freakin' Nephilim, maybe gank a few freaks along the way." Dean said. "And that's only if we're lucky." _

_"And when are you two ever lucky-" Gabriels eyes widened from where he sat on the sofa as Cleopatra turned towards him, clad in maroon leather jacket and faded jeans that were ripped mid-thigh; Her hair was pulled back into a loose ponytail that gave a clear view of her expression and the eyes that so often reminded the Archangel that she was indeed **alive. **"You aren't supposed to be here." _

_"Neither are you, Gabe!" She snapped. ''Why are you coming to rescue their hides? They are my responsibility! This is on me!" Gabriel frowned as he stood to his feet, clasping her hand in his own as he brushed his lips over the ridge of her knuckles. A simple gesture that her father had done many a times to her mother. _

"_And you are my responsibility, sunflower. Did you forget that I'm your guardian angel?" _

Whenever you look up the term _guardian angel (n.) _in the dictionary, you'll probably come up with a definition like this. **Guardian Angel (n.) - ** an angel believed to have special care of a particular individual; _broadly_ **: savior, protector. **Even when you believe that you don't need to be protected anymore, when you've got everything figured out and can handle your own, there they are.. lurking in the shadows. Waiting for the moment that you need them again. 

And sometimes that moment you need them might be their last one. 

_"So you two are both here to save us?" Dean interjected coldly. He had not been fond of Gabriel since meeting him at the Mystery Spot, and even though he was Cleopatras uncle, the eldest Winchester had no intentions of niceties with the Archangel. "That's hilarious to me, especially when it comes to Gabriel. You were the one telling us a few months back that we needed to be playing our roles. You were uber-boning us!" _

_"Oh, the end is still nigh! Michael and Lucifer are going to dance the Lambada! But not tonight." Gabriel turned towards the light to meet the perplexed gazes of the other three people in the room. Despite all he had told Cleopatra about his real reason to be here, she clearly had not bought his story entirely. "Not here." _

_"Why do you care?" Dean asked. _

_"I don't care, not about you two. I care about her." He jabbed a thumb at Cleopatra. "But Kali and I? We.. had a thing. Chick was all hands. What can I say? I’m sentimental.” _

_Dean and Cleopatra both turned to look at Sam as he approached Gabriel, determination lining the hardness of his expression. “Do they have a chance?” The younger Winchester questioned, brow furrowing as he met the eyes of the Archangel. “Against Satan?” _

_“Are you serious Sam?” Dean snapped in response. _

_“Do you have a better idea Dean?” _

_Having already been emotionally and physically exhausted from her encounter with the Seraph who had ultimately given up hope in his Father, Cleopatra cursed under her breath and pushed the two brothers apart. “I know I can speak for both Gabe and myself when I say it is a colossally bad idea.” _

“_She’s right. Lucifer is going to turn them into fingerpaint, so let’s get going while the going is good!” _

She could’ve easily overpowered Kali and Baldur, gotten the four of them out and far away from the darkness of the Elysian Fields. That’s what she should’ve done.. _Could’ve done.. _But didn’t. Hearing that Sam and Dean had been bound to Kali through the means of a blood spell had eased her anxiety over her lack of bravado in that moment.

Why was she so afraid of the power she possessed?

_Knowing he was hopelessly outnumbered by the Winchesters and an upset niece, Gabriel moved on with his plan to seduce Kali and steal back the blood that would break the spell. Cleopatra had felt like Dean and Sam could hold their own as they broke the prisoners out of the freezer, which had left her to be Gabriels backup if the need came. _

_Her stomach clenched as she watched him approach the goddess – suave, charming, swaggering in her direction as bright whiskey eyes danced over the bare expanse of her back that lay exposed to him. It was clear to Cleopatra that Gabriel had indeed cared for Kali, once upon a time. But that had been then, and this was now. Why was he so bloody infuriating to deal with?_

_"If we fight-" _

_"You die." _

_"And what makes you such an expert?" Kali retorted, clearly unprepared for the answer that Gabriel was ready to give her. The Archangel sucked in a low breath at the flash of gold eyes that lingered in the shadows - his warning to tread lightly when talking about his origin story. _

_"I've tousled with those winged monkeys once or twice." Gabriel stepped forward and lightly gripped Kalis hands in his own, eyes pleading as he slowly closed the gap between them. "Kali, no more tricks. I'm begging you... don't do this." _

Why did no one ever listen? If anyone had known what was coming, it would've been Gabriel. Gabriel had been there from the dawn of _creation. _He must've seen the outcome of all of this... Must have known what he was in for. He would've known how deep this pain would be. How much it would _bleed. _

_"I have to." _

_Gabriel laughed quietly under his breath. "Can't blame me for trying." He replied quietly. After a moment of silence had passed, he lifted his chin enough to meet the dark gaze of the woman across from him. "Still love me?" _

_"No." _

_Before Cleopatra could react, the Goddess wrapped her nimble fingers around the lapel of Gabriels coat and yanked him down to her level to slant her lips against his own. She seized the opportunity to peer out of the shadows with her blade drawn, eyes keenly peeled for the two vials that contained Dean and Sams blood. Just as her fingers closed around the vials, a sharp pain seared the upper half of her torso as she flew straight into the door. _

_She had totally missed Gabriels wince as he pried his fingers away from his neck to find them stained in his blood._

_"Ah, there she is." Kali drawled, fingers clenched in a fist as she approached the stranger pinned to her door. "Your saving grace.. the stranger with no name." The Destroyer gasped as a squall of wind forced her backwards, oblivious to the angry snapping of two massive white wings that had unfurled from her back when the threat had risen. _

_"I have a name, sweetheart." Cleopatra spat, lips curled into a venomous snarl as an eerie gold aura filled the room. "You're just not privileged enough to know it." Kali pressed her lips in a thin line as she turned away from the angered Nephilim, lifting her fingers to show the Archangel his blood that stained them. All the color drained from her face as Gabriel glanced at Cleopatra through his peripheral vision, careful not to let his own fear show. _

_"Do you take me for a fool, Gabriel?" Kali spoke his name as if it were a prayer that easily rolled off of her lips and into the open air. "You are bound to me, now and forever."_

Gabriel had reached for her as the two of them had been dragged from the room to be placed back in the Grand Ballroom, which was an indication to her that Sam and Dean didn't have long before they were discovered. His fingers wrapped around the fragile curve of her wrist, whiskey eyes silently pleading with her to not do something that would warrant her death. 

It was hard to kill a Nephilim that had been born of an Archangel. But a simple Nephilim born of a higher class angel? Cleopatra was not indestructible - her wounds were just as real as any other angels were - but it took more to kill her then it would've to kill Cas. She had been a force of nature, a hurricane, since conception. It would take more then the anger of a goddess to extinguish her flame. 

_The air in the Grand Ballroom was electrified with the presence of so many gods. Despite the warmth of the lights that surrounded her, Cleopatra could not contain the shiver that ran up the base of her spine from where she sat beside Gabriel. This was the part of the story where you could **feel **the tension in the air thicken -- to the point where it could be cut with a knife -- and once it was cut, that was when everything went wrong. _

_Dean and Sam were forcibly shoved into chairs on either side of her, and it took all of her self control not to snap Kalis neck the closer she moved to Gabriel. What had once been a desire of pleasure was now an entirely different matter altogether - Kali had the intentions of exposing what she'd found out about her Uncle. And using her family for her own personal gain was something that Cleopatra was not okay with._

_"You are mine now." Kali proclaimed as she slid into Gabriels lap with ease. "And you have something I want." Nimble fingers danced down the plains of his torso as she reached into his coat to produce the glimmering metal of the angel blade he kept stored within. "The Archangel Blade, from the Archangel Gabriel." _

_What had been expected to be a chorus of gasps was nothing but uneasy silence. _

_"Okay, okay!" Gabriel protested as he held his hands high in surrender. "So I've got wings, like Kotex. That doesn't make me any less right about Lucifer." _

_"He's lying. He's a spy." Kali answered. The Goddess brushed his arm as she walked past him, eyes set on the young woman settled between the two Winchester brothers. Without even so much as lifting a finger, she opened her hand and smirked as the angel blade flew into her grasp with ease. "And we have leverage to make him tell the truth. His niece." _

_Cleopatra barely reacted to the pressure of the blade against her neck. Her eyes were so intently set upon Gabriel and the occasional rise of his chest that everything else occurring around her was simply white noise. "I'm not a spy. I'm a runaway.. and I'm trying to save you. I know my brother, Kali." Gabriel leaned forward and pressed his elbows against his knees. "He should scare the living crap out of you. You can't beat him." _

Cleopatra could still hear Sams frantic breathing over the pulsating of her heart, which had only just begun to calm down after she had lashed out at Lucifer in the worst way possible. She had warned both of the brothers what she was capable of, constantly praying that neither of them would ever be around to witness the true anger of a Nephilim when it manifested. 

_"I can." Her voice wavered on a whisper as she sank into the back of the chair, expression veiled by raven curls that nearly reached the middle of her torso. Gentle fingers ghosted over her arm, most likely Deans, as he attempted to bring a source of comfort to her in her moment of need. "I can beat him."_

_"I've skipped to the end and saw how this story ends." He added. "I've seen what happens to my niece. Who she becomes.." Her chest constricted as Gabriel tilted his head far enough to be able to gaze at her -- his Sunflower -- and flash a nearly imperceptible smile in Cleopatras direction. "And it is a woman who I am proud of." _

_She barely saw the flash of light that emanated from Gabriels vessel as Kali forced the angel blade through his chest, ultimately killing the being housed within. Every fiber of her wanted to tear the Goddess apart, but something lingering in the back of her mind told her to harness that feeling for when it was needed. To hold on to that anger and direct it at someone who deserved to feel the way she did. _

She remembered ushering people out of the hotel after Kali reluctantly agreed to free them, Deans hand hovering over the small of her back as the two of them watched the group flee. Dean always seemed to be there when she was at her worst, teetering between the line of losing her sanity and ultimately giving up hope in humanity to saving the world and finally being free for the first time in her life. Always there with his bright green eyes and stupidly charming smile, with arms that reminded her of home and soft whispers of promises for a better tomorrow.

Cleopatra only hoped they were true.

_"Pst, Dean!" A shrill whisper called out from the inside of the Impala. It was the hues of his eyes that gave him away. "Flower, don't look at me. Need you both to act natural." _

_"Yeah, well... As soon as I step foot inside of that car, I'm going to slap the stupid out of you." The pair parted to enter the vehicle from both sides, simultaneously turning around to face the Archangel in the back seat. "You know, there is nothing natural about this at all. Maybe you really are just that stupid. I thought-" Tears blurred her vision as Gabriel's expression shifted to one of concern, leaning forward to wipe the apples of her cheeks with his thumbs. "I thought you were dead, you stupid Archangel!" _

_"C'mon now Flower," Gabriel replied suavely. "Do you really believe I'd give Kali my real sword? That thing can kill me!" Whether or not it was out of embarrassment or anger, Dean wasn't sure, but he could not help the laughter that broke past his lips when Cleopatra leaned forward and smacked the mischievous smirk right off of Gabriels face. _

The fear in Gabriels eyes when Dean had nearly demanded for him to assist in taking down Lucifer was palpable. Cleopatra understood his reluctance to kill his older brother, no matter the benefit of it. In fact the longer she pondered all of the choices Gabriel had made in the time he'd been a part of her life, the more they began to make sense. 

He ran from his problems instead of facing them head on. _Just like his father. _

Leave it to Lucifer for this particular incident to be the one thing that gave him the courage to face Lucifer head on. Stupid Archangel - trying to live up to her expectations of him. Stupidly brave Archangel... How brave you had been.

_She's way too distracted to realize Deans presence vanishing from the inside of the Impala until Gabriels hand curls around her chin, drawing her from her stupor to gaze at him before he allows his hand to fall. "I know you're mad at me, Flower. But like I told you before... Everything I do is to keep you safe. You are my priority here, and that's not something I intend to break right now." _

_"Gabriel-" _

_He held up a hand to silence her. "You're going to hate me forever for this," Fingertips pressed to the side of her head as her Uncle muttered a word in Latin she didn't recognize, and Cleopatra fell into the depths of unconsciousness. Gabriel took one moment to tenderly stroke the side of her face as he leaned over the seat and pressed a feather light kiss on her hairline. "He's gonna take such good care of you, Cleo." _

His final words ring painfully against her skull as warm hands wrap around her arms before sliding down to her thighs to scoop her up bridal style. Her skin is painted in his blood - _Gabriels blood - _and Cleopatra can't seem to sate the growing pain in her wings or the constant tremor of her hands. A paralyzing reminder of this night that would be burned in her memory until the day she was dead. 

"C'mon sweetheart." She felt Sams warm breath ghost her skin as he whispered in her ear, head lolling against his collarbone as he stood to his feet. The younger Winchester had respected Gabriel (to a certain extent) and was deeply saddened for his friend over the loss of her Uncle. If anyone deserved to feel such a loss, it wasn't Cleopatra. She was far too good, far too pure, to have to experience so much pain at once. "We're going to take good care of you." 

She missed the way his lips lingered on her forehead for a fraction of a second longer then they should've, as if it was the seal to a promise he very much intended to keep. 

_By the time she had woken up, Lucifer had already broken into the Elysian Fields and was in the midst of a conversation with his younger brother. The air inside the Grand Ballroom reeked of fire and blood, and just over Lucifers broad shoulders she could see the outline of Gabriels vessel._

_His eyes met hers, crinkling at the edges as he smiled, before he mouthed the words, "Memento mei." _

_If this was the way he was going to go out, he wanted his greatest treasure on planet Earth to remember him as he was in life - always smiling._

_Everything slowed down as a mortified scream built up in her throat, wings instinctively snapping outward in defense of her life as Lucifer lunged forward and plunged the angel blade into Gabriels abdomen. Her knees threatened to buckle beneath her as hot tears blurred her vision, and had it not been for the fire that had been stoked at the sight of watching Gabriel die, Cleopatra was sure she would've given in to her grief right then and there._

_ Lucifer recoiled at the force of power that broke into the room in that exact moment, forcing him to drop his brothers corpse to the floor as he turned to meet his new rival. Cleopatras eyes remained vacantly cast on the imprint of wings against the floor - a final reminder of an angels death._

_"Ah, Cleopatra Carter. We meet again at last." Angered gold eyes watched his every move as The Devil took a timid step forward, oblivious to the gears grinding away in her head. This was why she'd harnessed her anger - to take it out on the one man responsible for her suffering. "He was loyal to you until the very end. Kept going on and on about how good humans are, how his precious niece deserved the world and how badly he wanted to give it to you." _

_"You don't get-" Nimble fingers snatched her angel blade from the sheath at her thigh as Cleopatra walked deeper into the room. "You didn't know my Uncle, you sack of meat. You have no idea the things he did for me, all he sacrificed to get me here. You sit up there on your high horse and believe that your intentions are so much holier then everyone elses, but you want nothing more then to see the human race ripped apart. You are deceptive, and manipulative, and I will not stand for you soiling Gabriels memory." _

_ Lucifers shoulders rolled back on command as Cleopatra curled her fingers, gold eyes intently locked with his own as his vessel began to tremble violently. Her breathing hitched in her chest as she stood eye to eye with Satan. "Back to the Hell from which you came." She growled. "I'll see you rot in eternal chains before you mess with my family, douchebag." _

_With a simple flick of her wrist, a mighty quake shook the room as Lucifer and his vessel vanished - vanquished back to the deepest and darkest part of Hell, or so she hoped. It was only when Dean reentered and saw the havoc caused by her outburst that the Nephilim collapsed at her Uncles side, tears tracking through the dirt that stained her cheeks as she buried her face in his chest. _

The warmth of the Impala enveloped her as Sam slid into the back seat, arms loosely wrapped around her frame as she pillowed his chest. There were no more tears to cry, no more of her heart to break. Losing Gabriel had been the final piece. She ran a hand over her face and relaxed against Sams body, lips quirked upward in the ghost of an actual smile as he ran his fingers through her hair. 

Dean was the one who broke the trance brought upon by the lyrics to _Dust In The Wind _by Kansas. "Gabriel gave me this, said to guard it with my life. Think we should stop and take a look?" He patiently waited for an answer from either his brother or his best friend, anxiously chewing on the flesh of his bottom lip as he watched her vacant expression remain fixed outside the Impala. 

"Let's go for it." 

_We're gonna take good care of you, sweetheart._

She woke to the smell of coffee and donuts wafting in through the open windows of the parked Impala. Dean and Sam were standing at the drivers door, focused on whatever was occurring on top of the car. Cleopatra stretched her aching limbs and sat up at the waist, grimacing when she caught sight of herself in the rear view mirror. Her makeup was smeared all underneath her eyes and her hair matted from lack of proper washing over the past two days. Her opaque skin was stained in blood that had spattered over the crests of her cheeks, and she couldn't seem to stop the tremor in her hands. 

It was the worst she'd looked in months. 

"Hey Cleo." Deans voice broke through her stupor as he opened the rear drivers door to take a look at her. The elder Winchester pursed his lips as she remained silent, gaze cast down at her phone as she tried to send a message to Castiels phone. The constant shaking of her hands was making it difficult to type. "It's okay, sweetheart. You have to let it out. You have to let yourself feel it."

And that was coming from the King of _I-Watch-Everyone-I-Love-Die-And-I-Don't-Let-Myself-Feel-That-Loss_

Tear filled eyes snapped upward to meet his own as Dean took a wet cloth to the blood on her cheeks. "How?" She murmured uncertainly. "How do I let myself _feel _this? I-I don't want to feel this-" Her breathing hitched as a guttural sob tore through her chest, brought upon by finally allowing herself to mourn all that she had lost. But no matter how much she wished to grieve those who had left her and those who had died, she was resistant to the pain of _feeling _such a loss. "Dean - I don't - I don't _want _to feel this pain. I-I _can_'_t-"_

_"_None of us want to feel pain. I can't certainly tell you that I do everything in my power to resist it." Flashes of his mother the night she burn replay behind his eyes, and Dean swallows the bile rising in his throat. "But unfortunately, that God of yours programmed us to feel things. To feel joy, loss, guilt, anger, _love." _Tender fingers curve around her jaw and coax her to look him in the eye, and for the first time since they've met, Dean Winchester can see the petrified little girl lurking in the depths of those blue green eyes he has come to love so deeply. "And you.. oh you _beautifully brave woman,_ you are so much stronger then you give yourself credit for. You're definitely stronger then Sam and I, and because of that.. I know you can get through this." 

A newfound sense of courage to face her trauma weakly flowed through her veins as Cleopatra leaned forward and brushed her lips against Deans cheek in thanks. "Thank you Dean." She whispered in his ear, completely unaware of the frantic pounding of his heart beneath her fingertips. "Thank you for taking care of me." 

"That's what I do, sweet cheeks." He retorted, winking at her as he extended his hand through the open windows towards Sam. Her mouth watered at the smell of the hot coffee Dean now held in his hand, along with a bag of donuts he'd procured early that morning. "Now, c'mon. Your uncle left us a gift from beyond the grave that we need to check out." 

When Cleopatra emerged from the car and tucked herself in between the brothers, Sam was already making his way through the beginning of _Casa Erotica 13. _"Sam, Dean-" Her heart ached at the familiarity of Gabriels voice as she watched him through the computer screen. "Flower, my girl - I bet you're wondering what on Earth is going on right now. If you three are watching this, then I'm dead." 

"Wonderful." Cleopatra muttered bitterly as she sipped at the hot beverage tucked between her hands. 

"_Oh, don't look at me like that. Don't mourn me. It's embarrassing for all of us._" Gabriel sat down on the edge of the bed as the scantily clad woman behind him reclined on the mattress and opened the magazine she'd been indulging in before his arrival. "_Without me, you've got zero shot at killing Lucifer. But you can trap him! The cage you sprung Lucifer from is still down there. And maybe.. just maybe.. you can persuade that Nephilim of yours to help shove him back in. Not that it'll be easy."_

"I know this story." Cleopatra replied as she jabbed her thumb into the spacebar to pause the video. In reality, she wasn't sure how much more her heart could take by watching him through that computer screen. "Gabriel told me about this the last time I saw him face to face, when we went out on that impromptu carnival outing. The key to The Cage is out there somewhere, but it's not just one. It's multiple." 

"Multiple of _what?" _Sam questioned. 

"That's the kicker. Four keys, or more specifically.. four _rings._" The Nephilim sighed as the last of her drink trickled down her throat, sending a wave of warmth down her spine as she sat the now empty cup on top of the Impala. "The four rings that belong to the four horsemen, boys. Once you get them all, you've got the Cage." Dean turned away from her and pressed the play button, curious to know what else Gabriel had to add to their new discovery. 

"_Can't say I'm betting on you boys and your girl, but hey.. I've been wrong before. And Dean, you were right. I was afraid to stand up to my brother, but not anymore. This is me, standing up." _Cleopatra wrinkled her nose in distaste as the woman removed her bra, thankfully covered by Gabriels body as he turned to her. "_And this is me-" _

"Saving my precious eyes from needing to be bleached." She interjected, forcefully snapping the lid of Sam's laptop shut. "So, I left you two on your own there for a while. Have you gotten any of these rings?" 

"We got Wars, and we nicked Famines." Dean replied. "Now all we need is Pestilence and Death." 

"Oh, is _that all?_" 

Cleopatra rested her hand against Sams chest to stop the impending argument. "Hate to burst your bubble boys, but this girl here really needs a break. Or three. I'm gonna go find my angel boyfriend and cry myself to sleep." Before Dean or Sam could argue, Cleopatra disappeared from their Impala, leaving them alone. 

She appeared exactly where she said she would - directly at the feet of her confused boyfriend - and clutched the threads of the shag carpet in the motel room as she wept. 

_Oh Death..._

_Oh Death..._

_Would you spare me over another year? _


	30. Oh, Death

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Despite the loss of her uncle, a certain seraph sets out to make sure his soulmate knows that he will always take care of her.

_Give me this peace that I so crave, _

_Let me take it to my grave. _

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_[ this is a filler ] _

Warm arms encompassed her entire form as the sunlight slowly drew her from her sleep, and Cleopatra remembered that she was safely hidden away in Cas' motel room. The angel had no need for sleep - but one of his favorite instances during his relationship with the Nephilim was mornings like these, when it was just the two of them basking in the glow of the morning. 

"How are you feeling, Flower?" He whispered in her ear, adjusting his arms that were loosely wrapped around her waist. It had been a constant struggle to get out of bed since she'd materialized on the floor three days beforehand, nearly incoherent as she sobbed through her story about Gabriels demise. "It might be time for a shower, sweetheart. I placed a phone call for that.. take in you love? The quaint place on the corner?"

Cleopatra grinned as she nuzzled the crook of his neck. "You precious Seraph," She cooed. "It's called take-out, and if it's that adorable Chinese place, I might love you even more-" The words died on her lips as Cas froze behind her, lips hovering at the crown of her head as her eyes remain vacantly cast on the window. 

"I adore you. I am so utterly grateful to my Father for creating you for me." Castiel said quietly as Cleopatra turned around in his arms to face him. Warm fingers cradled the sharp curve of his jaw as the Seraph reluctantly lifted his stunning azure irises to meet the ones across from him. There was still that same emptiness lingering deep within the greens of Cleopatras eyes, an emptiness accompanied by the grief that flooded her very being at the loss of Gabriel. "My vessels heart aches for you, Cleopatra. You do not deserve this pain you feel-" 

She pressed a single finger to his lip and slowly moved forward until her forehead was resting against his own. Warm flesh beneath her fingertips, the pounding of his heart against her ear, the feel of him pressed so close to her - It was the only thing that was keeping her alive. 

_Castiel. _

"You're right. I don't deserve it." Cleopatra replied. "But unfortunately.. This is the human part of me that just cares too much. Gabriel was one of the last connections to my dad, and now I've lost it." Castiel frowned and lifted his hands to wipe the tears gathering on her cheekbones. "I've lost him." 

"Hey." The softness of his voice drew her eyes to flicker upward, and Cleopatra lost the ability to breathe properly as Castiel leaned inward to brush his lips against the corner of her mouth. All her thoughts stalled, and the only thing she could think of in that moment was how desperate she was for him to move an inch to the left. How desperate she was to taste his kiss. "You still have your mother as a connection to your father. And you.. you will _never _lose me, Cleopatra. That's my declaration to you."

It's one single word that she decides to carry with her. 

_Forever. _

***

"I'm telling you, Cleopatra is the _only _conscience either of us has. It'd be freaking spectacular for her to magically appear right now to help us!" 

"Dean, for the _last _time - The girl is grieving Gabriel. He was her _family. _She deserves a few days without us hanging on her heels like some lovesick puppies!" 

Dean and Sam were well on their way to acquiring Pestilence through the knowledge of Crowley, who was thoroughly enjoying the brothers bickering with one another over their Nephilim. He had yet to grace her presence once again but was greatly looking forward to the next time they would meet face to face - which would inevitably be happening soon. 

It has been fairly easy to acquire Brady, an former friend of Sams who had been possessed years beforehand and was now the right hand demon to Pestilence. 

Brady was sitting tucked away in the next room with his head dipped toward his chest, eyes veiled by the bag that covered his head. The smell of blood was pungent in the dank air of the dilapidated cabin as Dean stood in the doorway, arms extended outward to keep Sam from entering the room. 

"Look, topic of Cleopatra aside," Dean interjected. Sam was right - She _was _grieving, and he needed to think about the mission at hand and let the girl mourn her losses. They didn't need her and Cas to come at their beck and call every time something went catastrophic. "I'm doing this because I trust you, okay?" 

"_Trust me to what?" _

A different life of happiness and love from the best woman he knew flashed before Sams eyes when Dean pulled the sack off of their captives head, revealing the snarling features of his best friend. The air in the darkness of the living room had a sudden chill to it, and Sam inhaled sharply as Brady began recanting his influence over his life, over the woman he loved - It seemed that Azazel and his horde of demons had been pulling the strings of the proverbial puppet since his creation. 

He thinks about how tender Cleopatra has been to him since his detox from the demon blood. How desperate he is to create a friendship with the girl Dean holds so much respect for. How he craves that unconditional love that seems to radiate from her wherever she goes. 

Cleopatra Carter is the Winchesters heaven sent angel. She has shown them the love they have so desperately craved since the passing of their mom - and she has had hundreds of opportunities to leave them behind, and has not done so once. She is their hero - and Sam wants to ensure she makes it through this Apocalypse so he can tell her personally. 

They need Pestilence's ring, and they have to have Brady to get to Pestilence. 

So that's what he's going to do. He's going to get Pestilences ring, 

and then they are going to find Death.

***

[ i know i changed some of this to present tense, which i haven't done this entire story, so bear with me ] 

When Castiel asked her to emerge from the sanctuary of their motel room and indulge in the coolness of the air, it was incredibly hard to say no. He had done so with the intention to inform her of his deteriorating grace, thus cutting off most of the abilities he had as an angel. The moment he gazed upon her face he found that it was not priority at the moment. Cleopatra was more rested then she had been in days, fully refreshed and ready to face the world head on - but there were two boys taking care of making sure it kept revolving. 

One more day wouldn't hurt.

The sunlight warmed her skin for the first time in what feels like weeks, and Cleopatra takes a moment to breathe in the scent of life. Freshly cut grass and sunshine and the pumpkin patch across the highway. The laughter from the children at the school down the road, the rev of car engines as they commute to work, to school, to each individual home. People are _thriving_. "Autumn is coming." She murmured, eyes flickering open to meet those of the Seraph before her. 

His lips are turned upward and broke apart by the stunning smile he only saves for her, blue eyes glimmering in the sunlight as she drinks in the sight of him. Of all the men Cleopatra had met in her life - the ones who had harmed her, the ones who had healed her - Castiel Novak was by far the most charming of all of them. He was the most selfless, had the biggest heart and the most compassion.. and it was clear to her just by the way they looked at one another how he adored her. 

"I believe it is. That's your favorite season." Of course he knows that - He used to bring her pumpkin roll and apple cider from her favorite patch. "It is good to see you smile, Flower." He replied, taking note of the way her breathing hitched every time he cupped the frame of her jaw in his large, calloused hands. Time slowed down around them, as it did every time they were so close in proximity, and Cleopatra takes that moment to really _feel _the cracks and crevices of Jimmy Novaks vessel. The translucent scar on his upper lip from trimming the pine tree outside the Novak household in Pontiac only a week before Castiel had come to him. The strong gait of his shoulders, the callouses on his hands from working so many years with wood. The firmness of his biceps, the softness of his skin as her fingertips dance down his arms until they meet his hand. Delicate fingertips run over each vein that protruded against his skin, her eyes never leaving the stunning azure irises that seem to always drown in her. 

Those blues aren't Jimmys. 

They belong to Cas and Cas alone. 

"I thank God every day for Gabriel, before and after he died." She whispered softly, laying her hands on top of his own. "Because if Gabriel wasn't the coolest Uncle on this side of Heaven.. He would've never brought me into the path of my soul mate. I thank him _every moment _I am awake for being able to live such a life beside you, Castiel. You are the _good _I have needed in my life for so long-" 

He stopped her short by doing something he has never done in the entire time they've known one another - hugging her so tightly that she loses her ability to breathe. It's one of the first time she has embraced physical contact so intimately from any of the three men since they've met, and it takes every part of her control to not crumble in his embrace. 

Warmth enveloped Cleopatras entire body as Cas' arms tighten around her waist, the tip of his nose nuzzling the delicate curve of her neck before his face settled in the crook of her shoulder. He carries a scent that is so distinctly _Cas _that it clings to his skin, and she was sure that she'd eventually smell like him if they continue to be pressed together so closely. She could feel the sinew of his muscles even through all the layers he has on, and it was the first time she had felt properly _safe _since reuniting with the Winchesters. 

He was the only one there for her. She sought him out while grieving her losses, and Castiel had seen her through her grief. She would always mourn the loss of her Uncle, but having him here had been a balm to her aching heart. And for this moment.. It was enough. _He _was always enough. 

Silence ensued as her breathing hitched, desperate to not let the sob threatening to break past her lips crack her voice as she whispered a hoarse, "_Thank you." _while playing with the hair at the nape of his neck. He didn’t answer her, but instead took her hand from where it rested against his neck and placed a feather light kiss on her palm. When Cas finally pulled away, he managed a warm smile that sent shivers down her spine before extending his hand for her to take. 

"I believe we have a walk to take, Flower." 

And so they disappeared into the woods on the trail behind the motel, hand in hand. 

***

"_Maybe you hate us so much because you hate what you see when you look in the mirror." _

They had gotten the location for Pestilence out of Brady over an hour ago, but yet here Sam stood - arm extended and fingers tightly wrapped around the hilt of the demon blade as the creature before him jeered him on. Practically manipulating him into driving that blade through the soft flesh of his meat suits stomach. _Begging _for death because that was the only way out. 

"_Maybe the only difference between you and a demon is that your hell is right here." _

He felt no remorse when he finally did kill Brady, and Sam skirted past Dean and back to the Impala without another word. That consistent niggling thought in the back of his mind urged him to reach out to Cleopatra, who was most definitely with Cas, and inform her of what they've found.

His heart leapt when she did answer with a very simple statement - **_I'm on the mend. _**It's vague enough to leave him questioning, but Sam had more then enough faith to know that she will be fine. Cleopatra was strong enough to overcome the cruelest of losses - even when that loss was one of her only connections to a life she would no longer have if her mother wasn't still alive.

She reminded him and Dean _again _to pray to her if they need her. 

** _Always looking out for us, aren't you? Think it's time we do that for you for a change. _ **

Dean kept his eyes on the road, peering out of his peripheral occasionally to read the messages going back and forth between Sam and Cleopatra. The last message she sent to him before settling into bed with Castiel and a movie makes his heart swell.

** _Gotta keep my boys safe, Sammy._ **

When the brothers are well on their way back to Iowa to pinpoint Pestilences location and snatch the third ring of the Cage keys, Crowley pops by Bobby Singers house with one very clear intention in mind. Bobby wanted to crawl out of his skin when the demon finally does manage to ask the one question he has never wanted to hear again. 

"_My soul for Death's coordinates."_

It wasn’t the first time someone had tried to weasel his soul from him, but Crowley very clearly wants Lucifer slammed back into the Cage - and if they find Death, his ring is the key to a better world - one where Sam and Dean don't have to prevent another apocalypse. 

_What a wonderful world that would be. _


	31. Two Minutes To Midnight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Her boys are her world, but the thing is... her brother was her world too, and when Death offers him back to her, what is Cleopatra supposed to say?

"_You can do everything in your power to keep me away from this. I've already told you that I feared Lucifer because of my upbringing." She extended her hand to link her fingers with Deans, eyes solely cast upon Sams pensive expression as she rested the curves of her fingertips against his jaw. "Lock me up, drug me, whatever. But I'll tell you this.. Sammy. You two? You're my boys. So is Castiel." _

_Tears blurred her eyes as Sam wrapped his arm around her waist and buried his face in her hair. _

_"And my boys are my world." _

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"You're _what?" _

It's a simple enough question that Castiel more then deserves. After confiding in Cleopatra about his predicament that it had come to losing his powers, she had immediately lashed out at him for keeping it from her. The two of them were in the hospital of the town they'd been staying in to recuperate when he had disappeared without a trace, and it had taken her two days to find him admitted with a diagnosis of brain death. 

_It's a miracle he's awake at all. _

"Since my powers have been cut off from Heaven, I have lost much of my strength. I do not know the physical effects it has on my vessel.. but it appears that I am more human then angel." Cleopatra pursed her lips as she stood at the foot of his bed, leaning against the wall with her arms crossed over her chest. It had been a number of days since she had last sent a text message to Sam, and after losing track of Castiel for two days, she really had no desire to turn her attention to the Apocalypse looming over them. He was her priority. Plain and simple. "Cleo, your silence is deafening. Please say something." 

"You-" She swallowed the lump in her throat and ducked her head to her shoulder, allowing her eyes to flutter shut in hopes it would keep the fresh wave of tears at bay. "You scared me half to death. Please.. please just don't do that again. My nerves are _fried. _I can't be worrying-" 

His involuntary wince caught her attention, and so she moved forward to sit at his bedside. Bright blue eyes watched her curiously as Cleopatra cupped his face in her hand, inching herself close enough that she could rest her forehead against his own. "Your grace- What are you _doing?" _Castiel whispered, unable to tear his gaze of wonderment away from the shining gold eyes so close to his own. 

"What you've been doing to me for the past few days, except now I'm the one healing you." Cleopatra replied. A soft gold light unseen by the passers by outside of the room reflected against the stark white color of the walls as a Nephilims grace seeped into the vessel of the angel she loved. Castiels tongue broke past his lips to wet the broken flesh, his eyes never once breaking away from her own as he slowly felt his strength return. He took notice of the way her eyes snapped downward to linger on his mouth before the gentleness of his hands resting against her own drew her back to meet his gaze. "It will be a continuous process, sweetheart. I can't expend all my grace to heal you-" 

"As you shouldn't." He interjected. "You will be sorely needed soon enough. I need to make a phone call to Dean to inform him of what is going on with me and how you are faring. He was quite concerned the last time I read your messages." Cleopatra quickly nodded and scrambled to her feet with the intention to flee in search of something to eat, but was caught by the gentle pressure that encircled her wrist. "Breathe, darling. You have had quite a time recently. I am well, I am _here-" _

He was right about that. He _was _here. 

The Nephilim peered at him through dampened lashes as he looked up at her despite his most vulnerable state in the hospital bed. Her fingers shook in his grasp as he studied her, bright piercing blues that could stare into her very soul if he tried hard enough. "You are here." She whispered as she lightly squeezed his hand in return. A subtle reassurance to herself that despite her fears, Castiel was still very much alive. He was still intending to finish this fight at the side of the Winchesters. "I'm going to go get something from the cafeteria. I'm starving." 

"Be careful." 

The moment she left the hospital room, Cleopatra sought out a darkened corner and wept - until her cellphone lit up with the familiar ID for **the bravest man i know. **

**From: the bravest man i know (dean)**

** _how's my best girl doing? feels like it's been forever since i've seen you.. we're on our way to get Pestilences ring right now. Cas called - told us how you were. Come on over and help us finish this. _ **

Another moment passed before the end of his message followed. 

** _I miss you. _ **

***

She was the one who swept it and cut the ring off of Pestilences finger. No fear, no hesitation, nothing more then a clean cut through the bone with her blade. It's one of her prouder moments - but Dean Winchester has never been more intimidated by Cleopatra in the entire time he's known her then that sole moment inside that room. 

"You-" Pestilence growled hoarsely as she shoved him backward and twisted the ring off of the dismembered finger. "Not affected by the disease.. stronger then any force I have ever felt." Horror contorted his features as bright gold eyes snapped to meet his own. "What _are _you?" 

A coldness sweeps through her bloodstream, paralyzing every part of her body as the horsemen cradled his hand against his chest. "I am the storm, a force to be reckoned with. I don't fear _you_-" Pestilence frantically gasped for air as Cleopatra's angel blade materialized in her grasps, fingers tightening around the hilt as she slowly walked toward him with the blade poised against his throat. "You fear _me._" 

She had been afraid of the world around her for so long, that it was now time for the world to fear her for who she really was. 

Dean hesitantly stepped forward and wrapped his fingers around her shoulder to draw her from her stupor, emerald eyes narrowing on Pestilence as his gaze swept over the four of them. "It doesn't matter. It's too late." His words are finalized in a way that makes her think it really _is _too late for them to do anything, but before she could question his statement, he disappeared without another word. 

Her attentions turns to Castiel by the time they have arrived to the shelter of Bobby Singers home. Granted, it is no mansion compared to the house her mother resides within Topeka, but it is the closest thing to a home she had in months. Most of the mens conversation filtered in one ear and out the other as she stood behind Castiel, hands splaying against his hips as her grace filtered through her fingertips and into the Seraphims vessel. 

She had only just rested her head in the junction between his shoulder blades when Bobby utters exactly what she'd been wanting to hear. "_Death? _He's going to be there. And if we can stop him before he kickstarts this super storm, get his ring back-" 

"You make it sound so easy." Dean replied crossly. 

Sam swallowed thickly and folded his hands as he lifted his head to look at the elder man behind the desk. "Disregarding the truth to Deans statement, there's one thing I'm still not following. How did you put all of this together?" Cleopatra stiffened as the hairs at the base of her neck stood on end - a tell tale sign that a threat had just entered the room. 

If you can consider someone like Crowley a _threat _that is. 

He only narrowly misses the _thunk _of where her blade had impaled in the wood of the kitchen wall, mere inches away from the spot he arrived in. "Ah, there she is. Hello _poppet." _He greeted, lips curled back in a smug grin as she snorted and turned away from the demon. He was not getting the satisfaction of a friendly hello. Narrowed eyes watch as Crowley poured himself a glass of whiskey, beady eyes peering over the rim of his glass as he greeted them. "Hello boys. Pleasure, et cetera." 

"I guess I'll be the one to break the ice here, Singer." Cleopatra interjected curtly. "What did you bargain with?" 

"It seemed stupid to get sentimental over one little... soul." 

Four pairs of eyes turned to the demon lingering in the door way. "Oh, more like he pawned it. I fully intend to give it back. And no-" He snapped his fingers to halt Deans impending rant. "He can't have it back. Why? Because it's insurance. You kill demons, but as long as I have that soul in the deposit box, I'm not going anywhere. I will return it when this is all over and I can walk safely away. Do we _all _understand each other?" 

"Peachy freakin keen, English." Cleopatra retorted. "Now, do leave. This room already reeks of bourbon and doesn't need the stench of hell to infect it further." 

He left the room without so much as a peep. But the minute she locked eyes with Dean, the room filled with such a raucous laughter, it was almost as if the world _wasn't _coming to its end.

***

She listened to them from afar, just as she did when Dean returned from Hell. They needed this moment alone with one another, and that was exactly what she planned on giving them. 

"_You think I'm too weak to take on Lucifer, and so do I. Believe me, I know exactly how screwed up I am." _

Cleopatra had Dean fill in the blanks of Sams story that the youngest Winchester had not told her himself. He'd told her of Jess' death, how Sam had abandoned Stanford when John had gone missing, how Dean had been left to raise his brother because their father was so immersed in his desire for revenge that he neglected his owns sons. Her heart aches every time he informs her that Sam had nearly been out of the life, and that had been exactly what Dean had desired for him. 

_Sammy deserves a happiness that I can't give to him._

Her mind flickers back to an old song she'd heard during her mothers Broadway phase when she was a teenager, a lyric from _Everything's Alright _in _Jesus Christ Superstar. _

** Everything's alright, yes, everything's fine.**  
And we want you to sleep well tonight.  


"_You, Bobby, Cas, Cleo... I'm the least of any of you." _

**Let the world turn without you tonight.  
If we try, we'll get by, so forget all about us tonight **

After the wars they had fought, the torment they had endured and all they had suffered... The Winchester brothers deserved to sleep in a world free of night terrors, free of the creatures that went bump in the shadows. Maybe _that _was why she was put here with them... so they could one day sleep peacefully. Or maybe she'd be their destruction. Who knew what the future really held. 

"_Oh- Sam-" _

_"No, it's true. It is. But I'm also all we have." _That's true. She was powerful enough to stop Lucifer on her own, but that wasn't her calling. It was _Sams. _"_If there was another way, but I don't think there is. There's just me. I don't know what else to do except just try to do what's gotta be done." _

Crowleys familiar baritone echoed obnoxiously against her skull, and so she tuned out the voices of the men to gaze at the open sky above her. They were set to be leaving sometime within the next hour, but Dean had yet to inform her of where they were going - and that was fine. 

"Hi Flower." The lull of her Seraphims voice drew her from her trance, causing startled green eyes to flicker upward over to where he sat at her feet. "I couldn't find you in the house, so I figured you had left the boys to clear your head. How are you feeling?" Cleopatra softly exhaled and sat up at the waist, lips quirking upward in the ghost of a smile as she took his hand in her own and brushed her lips ever so gently against the bridge of his knuckles. 

"Better now that you're here, Cas." She replied. He turned her hand over in his own and traced the individual veins of her hand, tracing the shape of each finger before trailing his fingers up her arm to frame the curve of her jaw. Cleopatra felt her breath catch in her throat as he painstakingly inched himself closer to her, swallowing the knot in his throat brought upon by his growing nerves. "Castiel-" 

She was perfectly poised for his kiss. Hips opened and arched, hands lingering at the nape of his neck to tangle in his hair, her thigh brushing his just enough for him to feel the warmth that radiated from her. If he moved that half inch to close the gap, he was giving into her charm. He was a moth drawn to the brightness of her soul that burned for _him. _

Cleopatra was his temptation. 

"_I'm sorry." _He apologized profusely in the gentlest of whispers as he rested his forehead against her own. Despite the guilt festering within him, she merely smiled and softly shook her head. "Dean and Crowley want you to accompany them to Chicago to meet Death. The teams will be even that way." 

That made her nervous. What if something happened to him while he was with Bobby and Sam? What of Crowley? Why did Dean keep looking at her with such sad eyes, like he knew some dark secret she didn't?

"Okay." She whispered in reply. "Doesn't mean I have to like it, but I could use some time with Dean. He's going to need alot of hope once Sam jumps in that hole... If he manages to take control of the vessel from Lucifer long enough to do so. I just.." Her eyes flickered over to the main garage where Dean and Crowley were loading the Impala while Bobby and Sam loaded the 15 passenger van. "A girl who's been avoiding the death sentence all her life.. what does she say to Death?" 

He never answered her, and part of her was glad he didn't. Even when she would come to meet Death face to face, Cleopatra was not sure if she'd have the courage to speak her mind. 

The two of them parted ways at the van, where she reluctantly untangled herself from Castiel to stand at Deans side and bid a fond farewell to her comrades, the people she considered family. Dean gripped the scythe in his hand as they all turned toward Bobby, who slowly stood up and braced himself until he was firmly planted on his feet. 

Cleopatra balked and slapped Crowleys arms. "You son of a gun-" She interjected. "That's quite a way to give it to him." 

"Oh, Poppet.. he doesn't have his soul yet." Crowley replied cooly as the three of them moved toward the Impala while Sam and Castiel disappeared into the van. "Whatever do you imply by giving something to him?" 

She smirked mischievously and planted her hands against her hips. 

"_Hope." _

***

** _Chicago, Illinois_ **

"Dude, you could be so much more helpful then leading us on a wild goose chase, you twat." Rain pattered against the roof of the Impala as Cleopatra curled up against the passenger door in one of Deans old coats, eyes keenly watching the passersby on the street before them as Crowley staked out the businesses. "I hate him." 

''Oh believe me, no one hates him more then I do." 

The two of them waited a moment longer before the demon materialized outside a pizza shop on the other side of the street and mouthed, _"He's in here." _Unwilling to listen to his tirade and inevitably watch him abandon the two of them, Cleopatra gripped Deans arm and transported them into the very back of the restaurant. 

The smell of death lingered in the air as the eldest Winchester lead the way through to the front, stepping over multiple corpses as he went. Cleopatra stiffened when the hairs on the back of her neck stood to attention at the _power _that radiated through this room. It wasn't until her eyes settled upon the form in the front of the room that she realized who it was coming from. 

A man not much taller then herself sat at one of the front tables, adorned in a crisp suit as dark as the night and dark hair that was tucked behind his ears. She carefully stepped around to the opposite side of Dean to stand at the front door of the Pizzeria to take a closer look at his face - dark, round eyes and thin lips that nearly disappeared when he pressed them together. 

It was the eyes that caught her attention. Dark, cold.. emotionless. Exactly the type of vessel she expected for a Horseman such as Death.

"Thank you for bringing that back to me. Join me Dean, and you too Nephilim." Swallowing the bile threatening to rise in her throat, Cleopatra allowed Dean to take the place across from Death as she leaned against the doorway. "Aren't you going to enjoy this delicious pizza, Cleopatra? I can hear your stomach growling." 

"No-" She replied, firmly pressing her lips together as she grit her teeth. "I-I am fine. Thank you though." 

There were so many things she wanted to say to Death. Scream at him for tearing her father and brother away from her far too soon, snatching Gabriel before she had the chance to save him.. so many things, but not enough time. What is the word for bitter indignation when treated in an unfair manner? 

Oh yes. _Resentment. _

"It took the two of you long enough to find me." Death said as he carefully cut concise portions off of his slice of pizza. "I've been meaning to talk to you. To _both _of you." 

"I kinda have mixed feelings about that." Dean interjected. "So.. is this the part where you kill me? Kill us?" 

The lightning flash from outside reflected off of Deaths face, making him appear more pale and gaunt then he did under normal light. Cleopatra swallowed the lump in her throat as the Horseman lifted his head to gaze at the two of them. "You have an inflate sense of importance. To a thing like me, a thing like you, well.... Think how you'd feel if a bacterium sat at your table and started to get snarky. This is one little planet in a tiny galaxy that's barely out of its diapers. I'm _old, _Dean. Very old. So I invite you to contemplate how insignificant I find you." 

"What about me?" Her question rolled right off her tongue, and before she could take it back, Cleopatra found her eyes locked with Deaths. "I have had a sentence on my head since my conception, but _here _I am. My very existence is a crime against Heaven and Hell, but here I stand at the feet of Death, still alive. Do you care to tell me why?" 

"Because I allowed it." His answer is so simple and to the point, she almost believes its the one she wants to hear. "God told us to allow the Carters children to live, despite having broken every celestial code. That changed when I reaped your brother, but I still have every intention of allowing you to keep breathing because this man here -" He pointed his fork at Dean. "He and his brother will need the help of a being like you. Someone with a moral compass and a good head on her shoulders." 

"Help with _what?" _

"Breaking me out of Lucifers bond. Preventing the end of the world, the kind of thing that makes you quiver in your boots." He replied. "I want the leash around my neck off. Lucifer has me bound to him with some unseemly little spell. He has me where he wants _when _he wants. That's why I couldn't come to you. I had to wait for you to catch up. He made me his weapon." 

_Halfbreeds are born for war. _

"Hurricanes, floods, raising the dead." 

_This is how it was always written. _

"I'm more powerful then you can process, and I am enslaved to a bratty child having a tantrum." 

Dean thickly swallowed the portion of pizza he had been carving into and met Deaths eyes. "And you think _I _can unbind you?" 

"There goes your ridiculous bravado again. Of course you can't.. but _she _might be able to, if she allows her true power to manifest." 

Cleopatra snorted indignantly and allowed her hands to flit up to the locket that weighed heavily against her collarbone. "Yeah, that's not going to happen either. Last time someone told me to allow my powers to manifest, I was also told the same day that I could implode the planet with my pinky finger. I'm good, thanks." 

"Well then, you two need to get the bullets out of Lucifers gun." He rose his hand above the table and slowly twisted the opal ring that sat on his finger. "I understand you want this, and I'm inclined to give it to you." 

"_To give it to me?" _

"That's what I said." He replied firmly. "And Chicago... I suppose it can stay. I happen to like the pizza." Death leaned forward on his elbows pressed against the table and held the ring between his fingers. "There are conditions." 

Cleopatra finally parted from the doorway to lean against Deans shoulders, her hair falling in her face as piercing gold eyes met those of the Horseman before her. If she narrowed her eyes just enough, she swore she could see the ghost of a smile on his lips. "Let's hear them." 

"You two have to do whatever it takes to put Lucifer back in his cell. _Whatever _it takes." 

"That's the plan." Dean said in reply.

"No." Death snapped. "No plan. Not yet. Your brother is the only one who can stop Lucifer. The _only _one. So I need a promise." 

Her heart sank into her stomach at the disbelief that radiated from Deans body, his muscles tense with the impending demand as Death extended his hand in preparation to lay the ring in Deans palm. As Cleopatra moved so she could watch the two of them converse, she saw the flicker of a older brother petrified at the thought of not being adequate enough to protect his baby brother. 

Saving the world at the expense of the loss of Sam. 

"You're going to let your brother jump right into the fiery pit." Dean swallowed thickly and rose his own hand so it hovered directly beneath his. 

"Yes." 

"That had better be _yes, _Dean." He replied firmly. "You know you can't cheat Death." As if on command, the moment the ring fell into Deans palm, the storms outside hushed to a whisper, and the sun peered through the clouds once again. But the moment that ring laid in Deans palm, Cleopatra snapped her fingers and transported him back to the Impala. 

"Now that we're alone, I have a request to make." Cleopatra pulled out the chair Dean had once occupied and sat herself in it, neatly folding her hands on the table as Death watched her intently, almost with a look of amusement in his expression. "If I play my part, do what you say I have to.." 

"Yes?" 

Gold flashed in the shadows of the pizzeria as the demand easily rolled off her lips. If she was going to let Sam jump in that hole without so much as even begging him to fight Lucifer, Cleopatra wanted compensation for allowing such an act of betrayal on her own part to occur. 

"_I want you to bring back my brother.'' _


	32. Swan Song

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This was where they'd always end up, right here.   
In a little cemetery,   
Where Lucifer and Michael are to end the world... 
> 
> But the Winchester brothers will do everything in their power to prevent that from happening. The brothers, a drunk, a halfbreed, and a fallen angel.

_Let it hurt. _

_Let it bleed. _

_Let it heal. _

_And let it go. _

_\- Nikita Gill_

_<><><><><><><><><><><><><><>_

_If you're still reading this, you've made it to the most pivotal point of the story. Within the words of this chapter, you will witness the anguish of the girl who lost too much, the heartbreak of a brother unable to protect his own blood, and the demise of an angel who simply loved her far too deeply._

_But the most remarkable part? The sacrifice made by the man who saved the world, but the world he lived in never loved him enough to thank him for it. _

_And now that I have your attention, let me reintroduce myself. Chuck Shurley, Prophet of the Lord, blah blah. I still fully intend to tell you of the heroics that took place inside that cemetery, but every great tale must start at the beginning. _

_In this case, the tale of the Winchesters starts in April 1967, when the hundred millionth GM vehicle rolled off of the assembly line at the plant in Janesville. It was a blue, two door Caprice. There was a big ceremony, speeches.. the lieutenant governor even showed up. _

_But three days later, another car rolled off that same line. No one gave two craps about her, but they should have. That 1967 Chevrolet Impala would turn out to be the most important car -- no, the most important object in the entire Universe. _

_She was first owned by Sal Moriarty, an alcoholic with two ex wives and three blocked arteries. On the weekends he would drive around giving Bibles to the poor. "Getting folks right for Judgement Day." was what he said. Sam and Dean don't know any of this, but if they did... I bet they would smile. _

_After Sal died, she ended up at Rainbow Motors in Lawrence where a young marine bought her on impulse, with a little help from a friend. I guess that's where this story begins.. and here is where it ends. _

Present Day

They found Cleopatra halfway through her second beer bottle perched on top of the Impala. Neither brother could have seen her outstretched wings, which spread from the garage nearly five feet outward from her body. Her hair was haphazardly pulled into a loose ponytail, the leather jacket that adorned her form tightly zipped up her chest to shield her from the rain. 

"Hey kid. You look like crap." Dean interjected as he snatched the half empty bottle from her fingers. He smirked victoriously when angered gold eyes snapped over to meet his own gaze and she flipped him the bird in response. "Mind telling me what has you so bothered if you're actually drinking beer?" 

"I told Death that I wasn't going to interfere in getting Sam to stay out of the Cage. To find another way around this so he isn't enduring being tortured in Hell just so the world can keep on turning. Death told me that was the only way I could get my brother back, and-" Her chest constricted with the thought that she wouldn't be able to fulfill her deal, which meant that Reagan would continue to stay dead. 

_Too much heart, that one. _

"You don't think you can go through with it." Dean replied quietly as he extended his arms out to her. Like coming home, Cleopatra slid off the roof of the car and directly into Deans arms, wrapping her own around his waist as she buried her face in his neck. The elder Winchester exhaled softly as he sank into her, eyes cast toward the ground as tears blurred his vision. His entire life he'd done nothing but protect Sam, and now he had no choice but to let him jump into that hole. He had to live his life without his brother. "I don't think I can either. I.. I feel like I've failed him." 

"_No._" Her words were firm as she parted from him just enough to look directly into his eyes, lightly gripping his cheeks in her hands. His skin was soft under her touch, bright emerald eyes glassy with unshed tears as they gazed at one another. Dean swallowed the lump growing in his throat as his calloused hands came to rest on the curve of Cleopatras waist. "You are _anything _but a failure, Winchester. God only knows how much I wish that you would see yourself the way I see you."

He pauses in his answer to her statement, fingers nervously tapping in anticipation. ''And how exactly do you see me, 'Patra?" Dean weakly replied, unable to hide the break in his voice at the smile that spread across her cheeks. If he wasn't already in love with her, that smile would've absolutely done him in. "Cause I know how I see myself." 

"Then you go first. How do you see yourself?" 

"Damaged goods. Broken. Unworthy. Greedy. Mistake. Self destructive-" Bitterness filled his tone as her hand danced up his chest to curve at the nape of his neck while her fingers absently played with his hair. "Need I go on?" 

"No, because I have an antonym for everything you just said." She said in response. "Beautifully and wonderfully made. Whole. Worthy.. capable of the deepest kind of love that human beings feel." Cleopatra tilted his chin up just enough that she could look directly into the shining greens of his eyes -- a sight she would carry in her memory forever -- as she brought her lips to meet the scruff that lined his cheek. "You couldn't fail Sam even if you tried, Dean."

"And you could never fail him either, 'Patra." Dean murmured. The Nephilim exhaled slowly when she saw the way his eyes gleamed every time they looked at her -- like she was the sun, and he was the moon that revolved around her. Cleopatra wanted to call it Dean's version of gratefulness for never giving up on him or his brother, but he had a different word for it. 

Unrequited adoration. Or even worse? Unrequited love.

***

After gathering enough demon blood for Sams body to be able to contain Lucifer, the five of them were soon on their trek to inner city Detroit. Dean had adamantly refused to tell her _why _Lucifer would be in that city, but given the circumstances, Cleopatra found it best not to press him on the matter. 

Curled up in the back of the Impala, she softly smiled as Castiel nestled himself into her side, head lolling against her shoulder as he slept. Her stomach sank at how utterly _humanized _he'd become since being cut off from Heaven, forced to adapt to the environments on Earth. Deceit, anger, lust, sadness, envy, greed... But what Castiel found himself relying most heavily on was what he believed to be love. He didn't quite know what love _was, _but if it was that feeling he had every time he watched his Nephilim beam at him -- or even throw her head back in laughter -- he was positive that was it. 

Cleopatra dug through her satchel for her cellphone and simultaneously pulled out her earbuds, fingers dancing along the inside of the angels thigh as the words to one of her favorites songs began to play through the speakers. 

_If I had wings, like Noahs dove_

_I'd fly up the river to the one I love_

Eyes darkened by the shadows that surrounded her, Cleopatra lifted her gaze to the rear-view mirror to watch Dean's facial expression. She didn't have to audibly listen to their conversation to know he didn't approve of whatever Sam was telling him. 

_Fare thee well, O Honey_

_Fare thee well_

The least she could do was give the brothers a moment of privacy before they were inevitably ripped apart from each other. 

"I'm sorry." Cleopatra whispered under her breath as Castiel inhaled deeply at her side, his lips gently curving upward in a smile as her fingers raked through his hair in an attempt to keep him asleep. "Father... I'm sorry for giving up on you... but please, if you can _hear _me, show these brothers a kindness by bringing them back to each other when this is all over." 

_I knew a man who was long and tall _

_He moved his body like a canon ball_

And as she watched Sam bid Castiel and Bobby goodbye, her eyes blurred with unshed tears when the youngest Winchester surged forward and wrapped her in his embrace. He was so _warm. _Warm and alive and with more compassion for the human race in his pinky finger then some people had in their entire bodies. A heartbroken sob tumbled past her lips as he nuzzled the crook of her neck, whispering a broken apology into her ear before forcibly prying himself away from her to join his brother at the mouth of the alleyway. 

"Sam, _wait-_" Castiel stepped outward to grab her, arms wrapping through her own as she thrashed in his grip. The younger Winchester deflated at the sight - the strongest woman he knew - hunched over in the arms of the man she had devoted herself to, palms braced towards the ground as if preparing to collapse from the force of her sobs. "There's-There's another way-" 

"Not this time, there's not." Sam replied. "Keep her safe, Cas." 

And when she found herself unable to stand on her own, Cleopatra sank into Castiels arms and burrowed her face in his neck, her mind no longer on retrieving her brother from Heaven. She had to try to keep Sam out of jumping into the Cage simply because Dean should not have to experience the loss of another loved one. That's what Reagan would have wanted her to do. 

They had lost enough as it was. 

_Fare thee well, O honey_

_Fare thee well_

<><><><><><><><>

_The Impala, of course, has all the things other cars have, and a few things they don't. But none of that stuff is important. This is the stuff that is important. _

_The army man that Sam crammed into the ashtray? It's still stuck there. _

_The legos that Dean shoved into the vents? When the heat comes on, they can hear 'em rattle. _

_When Cleopatra came along, so did the lingering scent of lavender on the back-seat. Somewhere underneath that seat is also a small bottle of perfume inside what she calls her **Impala Bag**, which she often uses after rigorous adventures to the bar to rid herself of the whiskey scent. Dean and Sam never told her, but lavender brought them comfort. _

_These are the things that make the car theirs. Really theirs. _

_Even when Dean rebuilt her from the ground up, he made sure that all these little things stayed, because it's the blemishes that make her beautiful. The Devil doesn't know or care what kind of car the boys drive. _

_<><><><><><><><><>_

He has never noticed it until now, but Castiel can see just how deeply Cleopatra can feel other peoples pain. He has no idea how she acquired such a talent, but his vessels heart aches every time he watches her comfort Dean from a distance. It's no different when she takes his hand after leaving Sam in that building with Lucifer. 

"I know you think he's gone, Dean.. but he's not. Sammy is still in there. We just have to know which buttons to press to get to him." The four of them stopped just outside an electronic store where the windows are lined with TVs broadcasting the beginning of the end. "It's starting." 

"Yeah, you think, genius?" 

"You don't have to be mean." Cas interjected firmly. Cleopatra frowned and anxiously ran her fingers through her hair to pull it back into a cleaner ponytail, eyes keenly set on the two men before her. "I suggest that we imbibe copious quantities of alcohol and just wait for the inevitable blastwave." 

That was when it hit her. The world was slowly being brought to its knees, and she hadn't even thought of contacting her mother. _Stupid, stupid girl. Look at you. The world is dying and you can't even call your own mother to see if she's alright? _

"Boys, while you two bicker - I'm gonna do myself a favor and call Mrs. Carter." She interjected, lightly patting Cas' shoulder as she walked several steps down the sidewalk for some privacy. It only took three rings for Alexandria to pick up the phone, despite how deep she had been in reading Apocalyptic lore from her archives. "Hi Mama." 

''_Would it kill you to call your mother now and again, Cleopatra Abigail?" _Alexandria sternly replied. "_I know it's not always sunny on your end with the whole soulmate ordeal, which by the way I still haven't met him yet-" _

"I fully intend on bringing him to meet you at some point. I just-" Cleopatra pulled her bottom lip between her teeth when she felt Cas' arms loosely wrap around her waist and his chin settle on her shoulder. "I have alot on my plate. Heaven and Hell both want me dead, I'm supposed to be the mediator for the fight between the eldest Archangels.. I'm dying inside. And that's not metaphorical." 

It was the most truthful thing she'd spoken in weeks. After losing Gabriel, going back on her deal with Death to allow Sam to jump into the hole, the end of the world.. It was all too much for one person to bear. 

There was a pause before Alexandria answered. "_Did I ever tell you about one of my favorite poems? I used to read it alot after your brother and father passed away. One of Nikita Gills.. It's called How to Deal with a Painful Experience." _Allowing her eyes to flutter closed, Cleopatra leaned into the warmth of the Seraphims embrace and allowed her head to fall against his shoulder as she listened to her mother recite the poem. "_Let it hurt. Let it bleed. Let it heal. And let it go." _

"Are you saying what I think you're saying, Mom?" 

"_There isn't a day that goes by where I don't wonder what life would be like if your father and brother were still here. God only knows you wouldn't be hunting if Reagan had anything to do about it." _A soft laugh broke past her lips at the thought of her son, who would've been Dean Winchesters age, aggravatingly chasing after his baby sister to prevent her from participating in hunting. "_But then I think of your dad and how proud he would be of the role you're playing. Of how you're falling in love with your chosen soulmate. He'd approve of Castiel. I can almost guarantee it." _

The way her heart aches at the mention of her fathers approval is a welcome feeling, and Cleopatra does nothing to fight the blur of tears that prick her vision. "Mama," She whispered. "I never said I was in love with him." 

"_You didn_'_t need to, sweet girl. Mother's intuition told me just by hearing the way you said his name." _Alexandria replied. "_I love you, Cleopatra. Go save the world for me." _

It was the anger in Deans voice that drew her from her stupor, prompting Cleopatra to sharply turn on her heel and trek back to the elder Winchester and her boyfriend who were in the midst of an argument. "Now listen to me, you _junkless _sissy." Dean snarled. "We are not giving up! Bobby?" 

Her heart sank at the resignation on the older mans face. While she had only known Bobby Singer for a short amount of time, Cleopatra saw his heart the moment they'd met. She knew how much compassion he had for the Winchester sons, and how much he cared for them as his own. He may have been an old drunk.. but he was remarkably intelligent when it came to the lore and hunting and could hold his own when he had to. She was proud to know him. 

But to see such an expression told her as much as she needed to know. 

"_Bobby?" _

"There was never much hope to begin with." Bobby replied weakly. "I don't know what else to do." 

Dean stormed back to the Impala before Cleopatra could reply, leaving her alone with the angel and the human without hope. She took that sole moment of silence to inhale the cold, stale air of Detroit - to listen to the thrumming pulse of humanity before life as they knew it was stolen from them. 

"What did your mother say to you, Flower?" Castiel asked as the three of them began walking back to the alley where Dean had parked the Impala. 

Cleopatra swallowed the growing lump in her throat as Cas shifted close enough that he could lace their fingers together. Tilting her chin upward to look into the blues of his eyes, a soft smile quirked her lips upward when he brushed the pads of his fingers against the apple of her cheek -- almost as if he was committing the feel of her skin to memory. 

"She told me to save the world. And in order to do that," Her eyes shifted towards Dean. "I have to save Dean Winchester first." The Nephilim dug her hands deep into her pockets as she stepped in front of Bobby, emerging from the shadows to confront the elder brother. "You're going to do something stupid, aren't you? I've memorized that look by now. You wear it pretty frequently." 

"I'm going to go talk to Sam." Dean said. 

"Dean, why haven't you given up on this yet?" 

"Because it's _Sam!" _He snapped, a hint of desperateness lingering in his tone. "Are you seriously telling me that your brother wouldn't do something like this for you? You were his baby sister, Cleo. Sam is my baby brother. I cannot just let this slip through my fingers." 

Castiel was the next to step forward in hopes he could break through Deans nearly impenetrable walls and knock some sense into his thick skull. "I just want you to understand something, Dean." He began. "The only thing that you're going to be seeing out on that battlefield is Michael killing your brother." 

His next words broke her heart in a way she had not felt since they had buried her father and brother. [ an: there's a chapter somewhere in here where I said they were buried in the backyard, but until i find it and edit it, the carter boys are buried in stull cemetery ] 

"Well then, I'm not gonna let him die alone." 

The soles of her combat boots scratched against the damp pavement as Cleopatra stepped forward and wrapped her hand around Deans just long enough for him to squeeze in return, eyes locked with her own as a silent understanding passed between them. There was no use in arguing with him - No matter what they tried to do, Dean Winchester was adamant he'd be there to see his baby brother torn apart. 

The order his father barked at him seemed to make sense in that moment - because it always revolved around Sam. Feed Sam, watch Sam, take care of _Sam_. Dean had always known his purpose was to watch over his younger brother simply because Sam had a bigger destiny then he did. The chosen son, the vessel of Lucifer - The supposed boy king of Hell. It didn't matter how hard he attempted to evade it, fate was cruel enough to always lead them right to this exact spot. The circumstance where Sam was ripped away from him, or he was forcibly torn apart from Sam.

His brothers screams when the hounds came for him still haunted him to that very day. 

Because no matter how hard he tried, Dean did not have the strength to protect Sam as well as he would have liked. There were still things that could rip him away and leave Dean alone for the rest of his life. Death was cruel that way.. snatching the people you love before their time. He doesn't know how to deal with such a crippling loss where all three of his family members dead and he's nothing but a scared little boy left alone in a big world with no one to rely on. 

No one except an angel, a Nephilim, and an old drunk. 

"Where does the title fight take place?" Cleopatra asked quietly. Castiel grimaced and ran a hand over his face. 

"He said it was a boneyard in Lawrence called _Stull Cemetery." _He replied. "Why?" 

She repeated her mothers words in her head as the image filled her mind -- two marble gravestones sitting parallel to one another, the names inscribed in gold that etched deep into the rock itself. They had placed the stones underneath a set of dogwood trees to shade them from the glare of the sun, but the letters still gleamed when it broke through the foliage. **_Reagan Carter. Josiah Carter. _**At the time she had thought that the stones were absolutely breathtaking, but now only found it ironic that the place she would lose yet another brother was the site of the Carters burial. 

"Because that's where my baby brother and my daddy are buried." She said. "I guess we're goin' home, boys." 

*** 

When they approach the gates to Stull Cemetery, the air has a bitter chill to it. The dead leaves crack underneath the pressure of her steps as Cleopatra walks at Castiels side, eyes cast upon the two figures that stood in the midst of the graves. The air carries that faint crisp smell of a fall now gone, on the brink of an approaching winter - but what really catches her attention is how eerily silent it is.

That is, until the Impala came roaring into view - blaring Def Leppards _Rock of Ages. _Cleopatra couldn't help but grin at the sight of the eldest Winchester, so adamant in defying everything he was told just so he could be by his brothers side when Michael inevitably tore him apart. 

''If we go." Castiel whispered in her ear, gently coaxing her forward while standing at her side, molotov poised carefully in his fingers. "We go together." Michaels head snapped upward at the sound of fluttering wings, eyes narrowed in on the Nephilim and her Seraph as they stood at each others side. "Hey, a**-butt!" 

The Archangels roar of pain magnified against the silence of the graveyard as his vessel disappeared in a burst of flames. Cleopatra felt her heartbeat frantically pounding against her sternum as Dean looked to the two of them in utter disbelief. 

"_A** butt?!" _

"He won't be gone long." Cleopatra interjected. "But now you have your five minutes." 

That reeking scent of hell-fire overwhelmed her sense as Lucifer, still in control of Sams body, began prowling towards herself and the Angel. Blue green eyes snapped into fiery gold and shoulders rolled into attention as Cleopatra took a half a step to her right -- now acting as Castiel's shield. 

"_Castiel,_" Lucifer drawled. "Did you just molotov my brother with holy fire?" 

Nervous beads of sweat trailed down the dip of her spine as Castiel parted from her, hands held upward in surrender as he fumbled for a coherent answer to Lucifers question. "Uh, no-"

"No one dicks with Michael _but me." _

The breath caught in her lungs when Lucifer rose his fingers and snapped -- reducing Castiel to nothing but subatomic particles. A pregnant paused ensued for a fraction of a second, most of them too stunned to respond. For Cleo, it was the spray of blood across her face that snapped her into focus, and what inevitably lead to Lucifer struggling to keep from being thrown across the graveyard. 

"And no one murders my soulmate, _ever." _She snarled. Lucifer persisted against the force shielding him from reaching the trio, eyes narrowing in on the furious flapping of Cleopatras wings as he inched closer and closer to her. Deans mouth fell open in a futile attempt to call her name, but his petrified cries died inside his throat when Sam wrapped his fingers around her throat and hoisted her upward. 

_Please God, not her too. Not her. _

"There are no happy endings for you, _Nephilim." _Lucifer growled in her ear. There was no doubt that he was probably right. Her father and brother had been murdered. She'd distanced herself from her mother. Gabriel was dead. Castiel was dead, if indefinitely. Everything she touched turned to ash, and everyone she loved died. 

_There are no happy endings for a creature bred for war. There is only tragedy, anguish.. and suffering. _

Cleopatra thrashed in the Devils grip as her feet weakly kicked at his chest, hoping that if she struggled enough, he would drop her. She could feel the individual bruises forming on her skin as she met Lucifers eyes -- eyes that belonged to Sam Winchester, but void of the admirable compassion and loyalty he often carried for his family. 

Lucifers eyes were cold, calculating, eyes that belonged to a creature who thrived on misery and cruelty. 

_If this is where I die, I will die with dignity. _

Inhaling a sharp gasp of air, Cleopatra tenderly reached outward to graze the side of Sams face. "I-It's okay S-Sammy-" She cried, eyes swollen and lips beginning to tint blue from the lack of oxygen. Dean watched in utter defeat from where he leaned against the Impala, too terrified to move, too intrigued to intervene. Both of them saw the flicker of emotion in Sams expression - the younger Winchester hellishly fighting to set himself free of the devils hold - when her fingers made contact with his skin. "This world was n-never kind to you." 

And then he dropped her on the ground like a rag-doll, no longer concerned if she was alive or dead. He just wanted her to _stop talking_, to stop trying to get through to Sam. Lucifers solution was a simple one - kick her till her ribs break, punch her until there's no white meat left, feel satisfied when she stopped talking. 

When she began to see stars was when she saw them. 

The way her brothers hair gleamed against the sun. The curve of his smile. 

Gabriel making his signature cinnamon pretzels she loved so much. 

Her father and mother dancing in their living room, Christmas tree propped up against the corner and the scent of sugar cookies hanging heavily in the air. The memories she wanted to remember, and the ones she'd never forget. Because it was in those sole moments that she knew who she was, the person her parents had raised her to be. 

And it wasn't a woman who quit. 

_Nevertheless, she persisted. _

It took the cracking of four ribs, the lacerations and bruises on her arms and face, and the dislocation of her shoulder for her to fall silent. Lucifer smiled with satisfaction and moved away from her to focus on his next target. Cleopatra shakily shifted her hand to rest against the side of her aching neck and felt a sob build in her throat at the weak pulsation of her heart beneath her hand. Alive. _I'm still alive. _

She heard the sickening crack of Bobby's neck, smelled the blood in the air, wept at Deans desperate pleas for his brother to surface. But no matter how hard she tried... she just didn't have the strength to move. "C'mon Cleopatra." She whispered to herself, wincing as a searing pain tore through her upper body while she began to crawl toward Bobby and Cas on all fours. "There's no quitting here today. They need you." 

_"I'm not gonna leave you, Sam." _

Cleopatra crawled over to the rear passenger side of the Impala, propping herself against the car as she watched Sam stumble away from Deans body. Her eyes widened in amazement when the younger Winchester hurriedly looked over both his brother and their Nephilim, a reassurance to himself that they were safe. 

"Dean, 'Patra... It's okay. I got him." 

_He won. _

Sam tossed the horsemans conjoined rings onto the ground and muttered the incantation under his breath, grimacing when the Earth began to break apart until it formed a hole large enough to act as his gateway to Hell. The air in her lungs dissipated as she watched Sam Winchester spread his arms out in unconditional surrender, chin tipped toward the sky and head held high as he prepared for the fall. 

She didn't expect Michael to fumble for a grip on his jacket, or the two of them to tumble into the abyss together. 

It was only when she was blinded by a brilliant light that she succumbed to her exhaustion and fell into unconsciousness. 

She dreams of Sam Winchesters sacrifice. The heartbreak she felt when Castiel was ripped away from her. The defeat on an older brothers face when he realizes he can no longer protect those he loves most. She dreams of the end.

***

Indescribable pain. 

The pungent copper smell of blood. 

The warmth of the sun. 

The hoarseness of her voice, the aching that settled deep into her bones. 

Michael.

_Lucifer. _

So much death... so much of it in vain. 

After the hole containing Lucifer and Michael closed off, Stull Cemetery was basked in an uneasy silence that made her stomach turn. Cleopatra slowly allowed her eyes to flutter open and gaze at the scene before her - the bodies that had fallen at her feet, the burnt rings that lay in the grass. Her wings had wrapped around her body in her sleep and ached from the force in which she had used them. 

"You still don't know your own strengths yet, moron." Cleopatra murmured, wincing as she brought herself to her feet and began to sought out Dean. She found the elder brother limply kneeling over where the portal had closed, head bowed toward his chest, expression veiled by the blood that stained his swollen skin. "Dean." 

Just the sound of her voice sent relief coursing through his blood as he weakly turned his head to look at her. The poor woman had withstood the storm on a massive scale since being dragged back into hunting, and here she sat.. hands outstretched toward him, opaque skin marred by bruises and gaping wounds. Her eyes were swollen from how much she had wept, but she still looked at him with such heartbreak that it made it hard to breathe evenly. 

"Cleo." Dean whispered in relief as he brought his hand up to meet her cheek. "You look like crap." 

The Nephilim gasped as his fingers traced over several of the cuts she had received, prompting her to heal the deeper wounds that Lucifer had inflicted. Her strength had diminished considerably in her fight against Lucifer. rendering her unable to properly heal herself. But that didn't mean she couldn't heal Dean with what she had left. "You are far worse off then I am, sweetheart." She murmured, inching herself closer so she could gently hold his face in her hands. "Don't move." 

Dean inhaled deeply as her grace warmed his body, slowly mending both his internal and external wounds. "He's gone, Cleo." Dean whimpered, allowing his eyes to flutter shut as his chest began to tightly constrict. Tears fell down his sharp cheekbones as warm fingers gently ghosted over his cheeks to wipe them away. "Sammy is gone." 

_So is Cas. _

Cleopatra pressed her cracked lips together and balanced herself against Dean as she stood to her feet, unable to tear her eyes away from the man in front of her. Dean Winchester was a soldier without a commander; solely relying on the instinct of his heart to do the right thing. 

But the heart isn't always reliable. 

"Cleopatra." Her heart nearly jumped into her throat at the achingly familiar gravelly voice that sounded from behind her, trembling hands reaching out to curve around her hips. Her jacket had been discarded sometime ago, leaving her in a thin _ACDC _teeshirt now stained with blood. "Do not move. You are injured." 

Castiel inhaled deeply as the Nephilim leaned into his touch, the soft scent of lavender infiltrating his nostrils as his grace soothed the ache in her bones from the wounds she had sustained. Skin closed over, bruises vanished, but the heartache over the loss of Sam was not something he could heal. 

After a moment passed, Cas realized he could not physically pry his hands away from her. His mouth dried as she turned around in his arms and lifted her eyes to meet his own haunted blues. "_Castiel,_" Cleopatra whispered as she took a step closer to him. It was hard to hide the shiver that electrified his vessel at the way she said his name. "Are you alright?"

She had done everything in her power to shield him from Lucifers wrath, and without even trying, the Devil had reduced him to a mass of molecules forced to watch his friends tragedy unfold before him. And without hesitation, someone had reconstructed him. Brought him back to life, _again. _

The Seraph wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her until their hips were perfectly aligned, smirking when he felt the frantic pounding of her heart beneath his fingertips. Her eyes were alight with shock as his other hand came to cradle the curve of her jaw. "I am now." He said quietly. A nervous silence ensued as Cas' eyes flickered between her own, and hers to his. "Cleo-" 

"Bobby, if you would be so kind as to help the old man behind me over to his beloved baby." Cleopatra called out, threading her fingers through his messy hair. Bobby bobbed his head in acknowledgement and skirted past the pair to hoist Dean to his feet. "I know you and I are new to this.. the whole touching each other thing. But when you touch me, it lights my soul aflame, Cas. I feel unearthly things when we touch.. and it's a feeling I want to commit to my finite memory." 

"Cleopatra?" 

"Yes?" 

The Seraph swallowed the knot forming in his throat as he slowly brought his forehead to rest against hers. "If you allow it," He rasped. "I'd very much like to kiss you now." Cleopatra grinned and brought herself to her tiptoes, allowing Castiel to balance her weight with his arm tightly wrapped around her waist. Even through the multiple layers he wore, she could still feel the strength in his muscles. 

"_I allow it." _

His nose gently ghosted over the crest of her cheekbone as she loosely gripped the lapels of his dress shirt, eyes fluttering shut as she waited for his kiss with raw agony. After how many times he had hesitated in succumbing to his temptation, she was elated that he had finally found the courage to kiss her. And what a kiss it was. 

He captured her lips in what was possibly the softest kiss she had ever taken part of. Barely just the brushing of one another lips, savoring the feeling of finally taking that step until one becomes familiar with the terrain. It was only when she smiled into their kiss and teased the seam of his lips with her tongue that she heard the groan that reverberated in the back of the angels throat, prompting her to deepen their kiss further. Her heart fluttered when she felt his fingers brush over the curve of her neck, ascending until they tangled in her hair in a desperate attempt to pull her as close to him as she could go. 

"_You get some Cas!" _

Cleopatra laughed quietly as she was the first to pull away, stars dancing in her vision as she fought off the dizzy spell that had hit her with the intensity of their first kiss. She glanced over her shoulder to the Impala where Dean was whooping loudly in the passengers seat. Scarlet dusted the angels cheeks as he hid his face in her shoulder, unwilling to allow Dean to see his embarrassment. 

"How... How was that?" She questioned lowly, hands snaking beneath the fabric of his dress shirt to rest against the warmth of his hips. The flesh of his vessel was soft beneath her touch and burned so warmly that she wondered how he didn't have a heat stroke wearing so many layers at once. 

"_That _is something I'd very much like to do again." He replied cheekily, prying himself away from Cleopatra. He took that moment to really study her; his deep blue irises sweeping over her kiss swollen lips, the beam of her ear-to-ear smile, the subtle shine of gold lingering deep in the blue greens of her eyes. The blood had vanished when he had healed her, and the proud arch of her wings had returned. "A phenomenal first kiss." 

"That was your first kiss?!?" She cried out exasperatedly as he began walking toward the Impala, swaying his hips as he went. The rebel _knew _how her knees buckled when he did something so scandalous. 

"My first kiss with a beautiful woman!" 

Her eyes fell to the curve of his backside -- quite a sight to behold, especially for someone who wasn't even in his own body. "Beautiful indeed." 

***

_Endings are hard. Any monkey with a keyboard can poop out a beginning, but endings are impossible. You try to tie up every loose end, but you never can. The fans are always going to whine, there's always going to be holes. And since it's the ending, it's all supposed to add up to something. _

_I'm telling you, they're a raging pain in the- _

_"_So what are you going to do now?" Cleopatra slept tucked against his side, lips slightly parted as she deeply inhaled and exhaled. Castiel would know. He had counted every individual breath since she'd succumbed to her exhaustion. Nephilim were still partly human. Specifically the part where they needed sleep. 

"Return to Heaven, I suppose." Gentle fingers swept over the crest of her forehead to ward off any lurking nightmares of her past that crept to the forefront of her dreams. Cleopatra had fought hard. She deserved a well rested night of sleep. "For some time, at least. With Michael in the Cage I am sure it is total anarchy up there." 

"What about her?" Dean pressed. "It's not like she's welcome in Heaven." 

"She has played a remarkable part in this venture, Dean." Castiel replied softly as he wrapped his arms tighter around the woman at his side. He buried his nose in her hair and inhaled that familiar lingering scent of lavender, committing it to his infinite memory seeing as it would be the last time he inhaled such a fragrance for quite a while. "While she did not succeed in keeping Sam from the Cage, she did save you, and that is to be commended for. Cleopatra deserves to sleep." 

"Look at you, Mr. High and Mighty." The elder Winchester snarled in reply as his fingers tightened on the steering wheel. He could not place the blame on Cleopatra for Sam willingly jumping into Hell to save the world. He could not fault Cas, but he could fault himself. He could fault God for not _saving_ him. "God gives you a shiny new pair of wings and suddenly you are his-" 

"_Dean." _Cas interjected. "I don't know what God wants. I don't know if he'll even return. It just... it seems like the right thing to do." 

"Well, if you do see him, tell him I'm coming for him next." 

Dean's anger is palpable within the walls of the Impala, and Castiel felt his chest constrict with a twinge of guilt as he shifted his blue eyes over to the man beside him. "You're angry." It's a simply put statement, not enough to press about _why _he's angry; A mere observation based on what he heard in his voice and saw within his body language. "He helped. Maybe even more then you realize." 

What was that word... 

"That's easy for you to say. He brought you back!" 

That word that mirrors bitter indignation at being treated unfairly or poorly.. 

"But what about Sam? What about _me_, huh? If you go back to Heaven and your girl goes off back to her mom or with you.." Dean roughly jarred himself from his stupor, tearing his eyes away from Cleopatra who began to stir the more he irritably shifted in his seat. "Where's _my _grand prize?!" 

Ah, that was it. _Resentment. _

_"_All I got was my brother in a hole!" 

"You got what you asked for, Dean." Castiel gently reminded him. Feeling the Seraph tense beneath her, Cleopatra let out a small groan as she stretched the kinks in her back that had formed during her nap. Concerned blue green eyes settled on the man who owned the drivers side of his beloved Impala, his tortured emerald gaze struggling to remain focused on the road. "No paradise, no Hell. Just more of the same." 

"Dean, can I ask you something?" Cleopatra asked quietly as she shifted toward him, the scent of gunpowder and whiskey overwhelming her drowsy senses as she rested her hand on his arm. Dean visibly relaxed at her touch and managed a nod. "Which would you rather have? Peace.. or freedom?" 

Very few words were spoken when Castiel transported Cleopatra out of the Impala for a short goodbye. Her arms wind around his neck as his find their mark at her waist, lips skimming the curve of her shoulder as his face settled into the crook of her shoulder. She can feel the gentle thrum of his heart beneath her fingertips, the stubble growing on his jawline underneath her palms, his searing gaze when he pulls himself away to gaze at her. 

Her heart skips several beats when they lock eyes - the stupidly sentimental seraphim never ceased to gaze at her like she was the sun, moon, and stars. 

"You are my _world_, Flower." Castiel whispered as he closed the gap between them, fingers tangling in her hair as he slanted his mouth against hers. Cleopatra hummed softly under her breath when he inhaled deeply through his mouth, granting her the ability to deepen their kiss. Cas smelled vaguely of honeysuckle and wildflowers on a warm summer day - and tasted of the mint tea she often kept hidden away in the kitchen she once used in Lawrence. The taste of Castiel was intoxicating, which was how she found herself weak at the knees when he pulled away from their kiss. 

"And you are mine, Angel." She replied weakly. "How long will you be away?" 

_Gods_, she sounded like a lovesick teenager. 

"I do not know how long I will be. Heaven will be in ruins if someone does not move to pick up the pieces with Michaels absence." He parted from her entirely and managed a soft smile. "I will not abandon you. Pray to me, and I'll be there." A moment of silence ensued before he quickly added, "And take care of him." 

Before she could reply, the Nephilim found herself in the same spot she'd fallen asleep in within the Impala - and Dean was still wide awake. "You two suck at goodbyes, 'Patra." Unable to find the words that would convey her empathy over the loss of Sam, she instead leaned forward and took his hand in her own. Dean swallowed the bile rising in his throat as he turned his head to look at her. "What are you doing, kid?" 

"It's not your fault, Dean." Spoken so simply as if she is sure of it. Dean felt his breathing hitch in his chest when she ran her thumb over his bruised knuckles, eyes never once parting from his face. She watched several different emotions pass through his eyes in a matter of seconds before his deeply rooted grief came bubbling to the surface, and he was forced to pull the Impala over to the side of the highway. "It's okay. Everything is going to be okay." 

The pouring rain very clearly mirrored the downpour of tears that trekked down his face as he slumped over in the drivers seat and began to weep. Cleopatra said nothing and instead allowed her hands to talk for her- gently removing his jacket from his shoulders to caress the tremble of his shoulders and whisper promises of a better tomorrow in each tender touch to his arms and hands.

That was when she noticed the sign in front of them, despite the rain. 

** _Topeka, KS - 5 Miles_ **

"I-I wanted to say goodbye the right away." Dean murmured, sniffling as he scrubbed his hands over his face. "Thought I'd drive you home before makin' my way over to see Lisa. Least I can do for the girl who saved me." Cleopatra stared at him in utter awe and leaned in closer to his body to press a soft kiss against his cheek. A simple sign of thanks. 

She had nothing to say. Nothing could convey just how touched she was by such an act -- by the way he so very clearly cared for her and her wellbeing, just as Reagan had when he was alive. To be loved like such by a man like him was an honor and a privilege. 

Alexandria was nearly in fits when she heard the familiar rumble of the Impalas engine in her driveway and broke through the front door of her house to see her daughter emerge from the car. "You won't forget about your angel, will you?" Cleopatra asked, her head tucked down into the door to be level with Dean as she spoke. 

The older brother merely smiled and tapped his temple. 

"I could never forget a girl like you, 'Patra." 

_This is the last Dean and Cleopatra will see of each other for a while. He keeps his word though, doesn't ever forget about that Nephilim of his. And while Cleopatra keeps in constant contact with Castiel, she doesn't forget about Dean either. By next week she is already deep into several cases from surrounding police stations in the area - hoping that one would emerge and need to be dealt with by a hunter. Alexandria greatly enjoys hearing about her adventures with Team Free Will. _

_It's also the last Dean and Bobby will see of each other for a while. By the same time, Bobby will be hunting a Rugaru outside of Dayton. But not Dean. Dean didn't want Cas to save him. Didn't want Cleopatra to save him either. Every part of him, every fiber he has either wants to die or find a way to bring Sam back. _

_But he isn't going to do either, because he made a promise. _

He falls into the security of Lisas arms and allows himself to feel it, because that's what she would do. Cleopatra would make him _feel _it because that was the only way to look forward. The only way to move on was to deal with the pain. And when he falls asleep at her side that night, Dean thanks whoever is listening for bringing that Nephilim into his life. 

_So what does it all add up to? It's hard to say. But me, I'd say this was a test for Sam and Dean, and I think they did alright. Up against good, evil, angels, demons, destiny, and God himself, they made their own choice. They chose family. _

_And Cleopatra? Well, there's a bigger story coming for her and Castiel. But this was also a test for her. A test to see if she owned the fear, or if the fear owned her. And after watching her fall hard for a rebellious fallen angel and face her darkest fear of the Devil, I think she did alright. She did more then alright.. even after every storm she withstood, she still chose love. She chose the family she'd been given. _

_And well... isn't that kind of the whole point? _

_No doubt endings are hard, but then again.. nothing ever really ends. _

_Does it? _


	33. Welcome Home, Team Free Will

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A very much needed reunion.

_Life was quiet for a time. There were no impromptu phone calls from Sam, visits from Dean, life lessons from Bobby. She no longer dreamt of angels and demons, but of homecooked meals and the smell of wine while her mother sang as she performed her daily routine. _

_Cleopatra lived a relatively quiet life within the study of her mothers home with her nose buried deep into lore. Enochian lore, angel lore, the study of the Old and New Testament. Anything she could absolve to be more knowledgeable on the angels and demons she had encountered. _

_"Are you ever going to come out of here?" Alexandria inquired as she peered into her old study to find her daughter in the midst of reading about Lucifer being cast from Heaven. "You have a visitor by the way. Calls himself an angel, but I can't see his halo. Figured you would be able to-" _

_Before Alexandria could even finish her sentence, the familiar fluttering of wings filled her ears as Cleopatra transported herself to the living room. Castiel was standing by the door, trenchcoat discarded on the coat rack and shoes removed on the welcome mat. It was the most domesticated she had seen him look since their night inside her apartment in Lawrence. _

_"Cas?" _

_The way his eyes lit up at the sight of her made her heart ache. Here was this angel that had been around since the beginning of Creation, had seen the stars born and the planets formed, and here he found true awe in the sight of her. Dressed in sweat pants and her **Washburn College **tshirt that had faded sometime ago, with her black hair pulled into a haphazard bun on top of her head. _

_"Cleopatra." He breathed. The Nephilim gasped when Castiel extended his arms and threw them around her waist, tightly pulling her against his chest as he buried his face in her neck. Cleopatra succumbed to Cas' touch in a matter of moments and allowed herself to ease into his arms, her fingers curling into the lengthening chestnut locks at the nape of his neck. Warm fingers traced the curve of his shoulders until her grace was absolving the tension that had grown in the muscles of his shoulder blades. He pried himself away from her enough to rest his forehead on her own while his nimble fingers laid curved around the exposed strip of skin at her hips. "I have missed you, Flower." _

_"Kiss me like you missed me, Angel." _

She only saw him once more after that. They had exchanged introductions over a homecooked dinner made by her mother, composed of Italian chicken and mashed potatoes with accompanying glasses of wine. It was no surprise that the Seraph got along with her mother perfectly. He engaged in conversation about early Creation, politely commented on the dinner (even though he couldn't taste it) and thanked her for the meal before he took Cleopatra to the study. That night they had poured over Enochian lore, much of which he translated. 

But there was one phrase he kept repeating and refusing to translate. 

"_Olani Hoath Ol." _

_Cleopatra playfully smacked Castiels arm as he loosely twisted a curl around his finger. He had rolled up the sleeves of his button up to past his elbows upon entry and had also discarded his socks, leaving his feet bare on the hardwood. "Are you ever going to tell me what that means?" She replied, tilting her head so it was resting on his shoulder. Night had long since fallen outside the window, bathing the room in darkness albeit the corner lamp that sat on the desk. The two of them had moved from their reclined position on the floor to her mothers desk chair, where Cleopatra was lounging in Castiels lap with her legs thrown over the side._

_"One day I will tell you what it means." He whispered, reveling in the way she giggled when he playfully nuzzled her ear with his nose. "But that night isn't tonight." _

_"Then what is tonight?" _

_Castiels eyes fluttered as he unwrapped his arms from her waist and held her weight with one arm, using the other to cradle her jaw as he softly captured Cleopatras lips in his own. A whimper of content rumbled in her throat despite the softness of his kiss, fingers desperately clutching for a hold on the lapels of his shirt as he moved to deepen it. It had taken quite a bit of adjustment, but Castiel was quickly growing accustomed to the intimacy they shared with one another behind closed doors. _

_He only parted for a moment to regain his breath and allowed his eyes to flutter shut as her breath ghosted over the pliant pink form of his mouth. "Tonight is our night." _

_A promise whispered into the sanctuary of her mouth. _

Cleopatra had originally anticipated that Dean would _eventually _reach out to her to inform her of how he was doing since leaving the life of a hunter -- the only life he had ever known -- but much to her chagrin, not once did he contact her. So instead of listening to reason and remaining in Topeka, Cleopatra sought out the elder Winchester to ensure that he was, in fact, safe. Or more importantly, that he was happy. 

Cleopatra found him in the midst of lighting fireworks for the fourth of July with a boy she had not seen before, who could not have been much older then ten years old and bore a _striking _resemblance to Dean. The woman at his side was beautiful - fair skinned with dark, shining eyes and a figure that Dean surely admired. She came to find out their names were Lisa and Ben Braeden. 

Barricading her curiosity behind high walls and locked gates, the Nephilim watched unseen from the opposite side of the street as Dean murmured something in Lisas ear, grinning proudly as she broke out into laughter just as he launched the first firework into the sky. The sound shook the Earth beneath her feet and illuminated the darkness above her in a mirage of red and gold, much like the sunrises she often watched from the roof of her home in Lawrence. 

And it was in the midst of the glare from the rockets that she saw true happiness in Deans expression. This was the face of a man deeply in love, a man who was happy, a man who was finally _free. _

Who was she to ruin that? 

_Hunters instinct were an absolute pain to deal with at times. After the fireworks had died down, Lisa and Ben had retreated into the house to turn in which had left Dean to clean up the mess from their Fourth of July celebration. He had turned on the Impala solely for the use of the radio and inserted a tape Cleopatra had given to him before they had parted, when he had left her to her mothers care in Topeka. _

But yet he had still blasted that tape like it was the last memory he had of her. Of what she meant to him. 

_"Hold on." His deep baritone rang clearly in the air as Dean quietly sang along to the song, eyes narrowed in across the street as he swore he saw a flicker of gold before it vanished all together. "Hold on to me, cause I'm a little unsteady...." _

With Dean out of the life and Castiel actively involved in reunifying Heaven, it left Cleopatra to integrate herself back into civilian life and become reaccustomed to working with other humans outside of hunters. It was six months after Sam had jumped that her mother returned home from the University and introduced her to Zion. 

While Alexandria claimed him to be nothing more then a graduate student from England who also taught self defense at the college she took part of, Cleopatra knew better the moment she met him. Zion Michaels could not have physically been much older then 28. He was clearly well built - Standing at 6'0 with strong defined arms that lead to wide shoulders, a sharp jaw. with blonde hair that shone as brightly as the sun and icy blue eyes that were similar to Castiels. 

"_Did you SEE his halo, Mother?" Cleopatra interjected sharply as the two of them entered her cottage home and shut the door behind them. The Nephilim paused in the midst of her bluster to remove her pea coat and knee high boots by the door while Alexandria continued her trek to the kitchen. "Oh wait, no. I forgot. You're not the celestial being here. Zion is an angel! How did you not notice!?" _

_"Because the only angels I have ever taken notice of are your father and your future husband. Why would I care that he's an angel?" Alexandria loosely gripped her daughters shoulders in her hands as Cleopatra tilted her head upward to meet her mothers eyes. "He's the one who's teaching my girl to defend herself. That's good enough for me." _

When the one year mark hit since Sam had fallen straight into Lucifers Cage was when she got her first phone call from Dean. The familiar ringtone of _Simple Man _echoed against the walls of her bedroom as she rose from her deep sleep, scrambling to retrieve her phone from her nightstand. 

"Dean?" Cleopatra murmured urgently as she wiped the sleep from her eyes. Night had fallen sometime ago, bathing the walls of her bedroom in a darkness so deep she could not see her hands in front of her eyes. The clock on her phone rang _2:00 AM_ \- a typical hour for the Winchesters to be awake. "Dean? Is that you?" 

"It's him, 'Patra.'' The soft, familiar baritone rang in her ears, sending shivers down her spine at the sound. Oh how she had _missed _that voice. "I don't know how he got topside, but I'm starin' at my brother. Sam is _alive." _

A pregnant silence ensued as Cleopatra once again brought her concentration to the time on her cellphone. After a year of being apart from the Winchesters, Cleopatra was elated to soon be reunited with the brothers. "Well, I don't know about you, but this girl isn't accustomed to Winchester hours anymore. Text me your address and I'll come meet you in the morning." 

"Comin' around just for me? I'm touched." Dean whispered. "Need your beauty sleep while you're at it?" 

"Have you _seen _me, Deano? I'm drop dead gorgeous. Of course I need my beauty sleep." 

Needless to say when she arrived at the destination Dean had sent her the next morning, that same smile she had imagined upon falling asleep after their phone call was plastered on his face. She paid no attention to the blankness of Sams expression as she stared at them -- basked in the glow of the sunrise, emerald eyes keenly watching as she dropped her bag and sprinted across the parking lot to be scooped up into Deans waiting arms. Joyful laughter echoed in the air as Cleopatra wrapped her legs around his waist and threw her head back as he spun her around. 

"_Dean!" _

_"_Hello to you too, my favorite Nephilim." He replied cheekily, unwinding his arms from her waist as she settled back onto the ground. Cleopatras joyous expression contorted into confusion as he peered over her shoulder, clearly in search of the angel that had once constantly been attached to her hip. "Where's your angel?" 

"Engaging in heavenly battle?" She remarked flatly with an accompanying shrug. "I don't know, but I miss him like crazy. I haven't heard from Cas in months." 

Dean pursed his lips in deep thought as Cleopatras attention moved to Sam, who still had not said a word since she had appeared. The raven haired woman stepped to her left to regard the younger Winchester, who stood nearly a whole foot taller then her despite the way she stood on her tiptoes to meet his line of sight. "Cleopatra." Sam breathed in relief, as if it was a pleasant sight to see her. "I've missed you." 

She tossed her hair playfully and winked. "Missed my stunning looks and boisterous personality? I'm glad. Looks like you two know what Cas is missing out on." 

Dean shifted his weight so he was facing his brother, resting his hands on Cleopatras shoulders as Sams gaze snapped over to him. "Want us to fill you in on everything that's aspired in the last twenty four hours?" Dean questioned, to which she nodded in reply. The elder brother extended his hand to his car, ever the faithful, that quietly sat several feet away from the three of them. 

It took them nearly an hour to tell her what they'd learned - When Sam had been plucked from Hell, a similar entity had also done to their grandfather, Samuel Campbell. She only partially heard what had happened in moving Lisa and Ben to Bobbys house, and something about hunting some djinn that had been particularly interested in him and Sam. 

"Who else knew you were alive, Sam?" 

The question caught him off guard. Sam had only informed a handful of people of his resurrection, adamantly refusing to inform Dean and Cleopatra due to the raw truth -- They were out of the life, and they were _free. _There was no reason to pull them back into it just because someone, or something, had broken him free from the Cage. 

"Bobby, Samuel and the Campbells. I didn't tell you and Dean for a very specific reason that Bobby also agreed with." Sam popped the cap on his second bottle of beer and took a swig. "You two were out, reintegrating into life, learning what it means to live a life outside of hunting. That's all you've ever wanted. You were _out! _Who was I to ruin that?!" 

Cleopatra turned her attention to Dean, her own story of mourning lingering on the tip of her tongue just waiting to be spoken. She wasn't the center of attention right now. What was the center of their story was Sam's mysterious resurrection, the multitudes of unknown creatures roaming the Earth, and Dean being blissfully oblivious to Sams return to Earth. How deep in his grief he'd been that night in the Impala. 

"I would've liked to have known you were alive." She said quietly. "Because I care _deeply _about you, you idiot. You two are my world outside of Castiel and my mother. And when I watched you jump into that hole for the good of the human race, a piece of me died knowing I didn't do anything to try and save you. So yes.. I would've liked to have known you were alive." 

Unsure of what to say, Sam remained silent as Dean slipped the key into the ignition and brought the Impala to life, the rumble of the engine vibrating beneath her feet. The familiar scent of lavender drifted through the cab of the Impala as Cleopatra sank into the seat and slid her bag beneath her. 

"Welcome home, Team Free Will." She murmured, and allowed herself to drift into slumber with the sounds of _Who Says You Can't Go Home _by Bon Jovi. 

_Who says you can't go home _

_There's only one place they call me one of their own _

_Who says you can't go home.... _


	34. Balthazar Positively Loves Castiel's Soulmate

"_And who might you be, you gorgeous thing?" _

_Cleopatra made sure to sway her hips as she sauntered over to Balthazar, who slowly licked his lips as his gaze flickered up and down her body. He could practically feel the jealous burn of Castiels glare at his head. _

_"I'm Cleopatra, but you can call me Cleo." She whispered. The angel swallowed thickly as she tilted her head and lifted her eyes to meet his own, stunned to find them a dangerously bright gold. "And I'm your worst nightmare, handsome." _

_<><><><><><><><><><><><>_

"What was your favorite part of domestication, Dean?" 

Dean peered at his best friend from the rear-view mirror as she leaned over the seat and curled her hands around his neck, allowing the pads of her fingers to massage the knots that had formed there. The sun had hidden itself behind the overcast that hung low in the sky, casting a grey glow on the Earth below it. 

"Getting to be with the woman of my dreams and help raise her child." He replied. "I think it was just the whole idea of finally being _out_, 'Patra. Hunting is all I've known since Sam and I were kids. We were both raised in this business like soldiers, bred for war and forbidden to embrace our emotion. If someone died, bury it. That's what Dad said."

"No offence Deano, but if I ever met your daddy, I'd personally show him the famous Nephilim throw where I vault people across an ocean just for pissing me off." Cleopatra retorted. Deans lips quirked upward in his knee weakening grin as he threw his head back with laughter, oblivious to the vibrating cellphone with half a dozen messages from Zion in the back seat. "Can I get changed into my pantsuit yet?" 

"We're ten minutes outside of Easter. Just snap it on." Before Dean could respond, Cleopatra snapped her fingers and appeared in an entirely different outfit - Hair pulled back into a meticulous ponytail, makeup lightly applied and refreshed, adorned in a crisp navy blue pantsuit similar to the one she had worn on Cas' first case. The elder Winchester gaped in disbelief as she exchanged her combat boots for the high heels in her bag. "I would've much rather seen the classic _woman-changes-in-the-back-seat-while-man-tries-not-to-look _bit." 

He earned a well placed slap to the back of the head for that comment. 

After their arrival to the police station, Sam hastily filled them in on what he had learned - Officer Hatch had turned from a solid into blood, Officer Gray had been plagued with boils, which left their third comrade in arms who had also been involved in a shooting with the other two the year before. 

"Does this look witchy to you?" 

"Nah. This is well planned out. I'm guessing there was no hex work found anywhere at any of the crime scenes, but each of these is ringing a bell to the endless lore I've been reading in the Bible." Cleopatra remarked as she peered at the body that laid supine on the table. "Is there a link between these two, Sam?" 

"Yeah. They were involved in a shooting last year with a kid named Christopher Birch, along with Hatch's partner, Office Colefax." 

Needless to say, after their confrontation with the mourning Officer Colefax, the trio found a swarm of locusts burrowing their way through the center of his head. Dean took it upon himself to corral the creatures into a jar from the Impala before the three of them left the scene to return to their motel room and discuss the next phase of their plan. 

"Dude." Dean whined. "You're green. Can you stop acting like you're gonna be sick?" Cleopatra flipped the older brother off as she launched a pillow at him from the other side of the room where she sat surrounded by different books from her mothers study. "Watch my beer, 'Patra-" 

Sam snickered as the Nephilim snapped her fingers and the bottle Dean had been indulging in suddenly appeared nestled in her grasps. "Oh, sorry cupcake." She mused. "I think it's my beer now." 

"Don't you despise the taste?" 

Cleopatra shrugged in response. "Everyone needs a new hobby at one point or another." 

"We were right earlier." Sam interjected, forcing the pair to halt their bickering for the time being. "The three officers involved with Christopher Birch's death all filed the exact same police report." Blue green eyes shifted over to Dean as he held the paper copy of the report in his hands. 

_Suspect exited the vehicle brandishing a fire arm. We were forced to fire._

"Just a kid with no face and a planted gun." Cleopatra murmured, tucking her legs beneath her as she chewed on the end of her pen. The Enochian tattoo of Castiels name on her wrist seemed to burn the longer she stared at it. "What a bunch of douchebags. So they pop the kid, plant the piece-" 

"Maybe Colefax was right. Maybe Heaven has a hate on for bad cops." 

"So we're listening to the guy with the bug in his custard now?" 

As the two brothers conversed with one another, Cleopatra turned her attention away from them to glance at her phone that laid dormant on top of the King James Version of the Bible. Yet another message from Zion with a daily update of her mother, asking if she'd ever return for another self defense lesson. 

_Zion Michaels: Mom is good. Brought her Italian from that quaint place she loves downtown. But she won't stop talking about some angel named Castiel. He sounds super familiar... so do you wanna clue me in here? Missin' you at your lessons.... _

Cleopatra pulled her bottom lip between her teeth as she prepared a response, only to be abruptly interrupted by Dean as he snatched her phone from her hand and threw it across the room. "_Dean!" _She snarled. "I was in the _middle _of something, you moron-" 

"Call your boyfriend." He demanded. "Or pray. I don't care. But we need both of you to help Sam and I figure out just exactly what is going on here!" 

"What makes you think he'll actually listen to me? I haven't seen my _boyfriend _since right after Sam jumped. That was months ago, and instead of being with him, I'm in another grungy motel room with one of the most physically attractive males on the planet, and a super hot guy who happens to tower over literally every single person I know." Cleopatra muttered. "Fine. Here it goes. Now I lay me to down to sleep, I pray to the most adorable Seraph in the garrison that he'd jettison himself to the Earth so I can keep my sanity!" 

"You give him more credit then what's due." Sam remarked. "The son of a b**** doesn't answer." 

The gentle flutter of wings had Dean and Cleopatra doubled over in laughter when they recognized the signature trench coat, followed by the head tilt and narrowed azure irises that were solely focused on the woman in the room. 

"Hello Flower." Castiel breathed, allowing the stiffness of his vessel to recede as the Nephilim beamed at him so brightly it sent his heart into a frenzy. "I have missed you in a most profound way." Cleopatra crossed the room to close the gap between them and gripped the lapels of Castiels coat, arms snaking around his neck so she was perfectly aligned to whisper in his ear. Dean and Sam gasped when she tilted her head just as he turned his to an angle that would complement her own, capturing her lips in the deepest kiss either of them had seen so far. 

_I missed your kiss, angel. _

Dexterous fingers danced along the veins of her neck as they sank into the tresses of her hair, a low moan reverberating in the back of his throat when Castiel parted the pliant flesh of his pink lips just enough to allow her tongue to delve into the recesses of his mouth. She tasted vaguely of chocolate and Deans beer, her flesh warm beneath his touch as Cleopatra was the first to pull away due to a lack of oxygen. 

Both brothers were blissfully ignorant to their telepathic communication.

_And I missed your body, Flower. _

Her jaw dropped at the bluntness of his comment as Castiel cleared his throat and turned his attention to Sam. "Hello." He greeted. The younger brothers head turned in utter disbelief and astonishment as he gaped openly at Dean before throwing his hands up in surrender. "That is still the term?" 

"I spent _all _that time trying to get through to you, but it takes one measly prayer from Cleopatra for you to come rocketing down to Earth?" 

"She is my soulmate, Sam." Castiel replied matter-of-factly. "Cleopatra is my priority above the two of you, but the three of you are collectively my responsibility. I have a duty of care." 

"While I do agree with you, sweetheart-" Cleopatra interjected, desperate to ignore the sudden warmth in her cheeks when Cas reached out to take her hand in his own. "You have a duty of care to all _three _of us. Sam included. You do happen to remember when he dove face first into the Pit, right? Sammy really took one for the team there, Castiel. I think you could've given five minutes of time to answer his questions." 

"If I had any answers, I might have responded, but I don't know, Sam." Cas said, "We have no idea who brought you back from the Cage, or why." 

"So it wasn't God?" 

"No one has even seen God. The whole thing remains mysterious." 

Cleopatra pressed her lips together tightly as she very intently studied the Seraphs body language, noticing the subtle hints that often told when he was lying to cover up a truth he was reluctant to share. While it is quite easy to tell when humans are lying, angels are harder. They don't have the flaws that humans do.. but you are still able to catch them in the midst of their lie. 

But as she studied him, Castiel seemed rather confident in his answers to Sams inquiry of who had brought him back from the Cage. Cool, collected, matter-of-fact in knowing that God had nothing to do with it. The nagging feeling in her gut urged her to remain suspicious, not to let her guard down around the angel simply because she adored him. 

"Cas, listen. If Sam calls, you answer. You fly your winged a** down here and you simply tell him, "_I don't know." _Just because you and I have a special bond or whatever-" 

Castiel glanced at Dean with an indignant expression. "Please. I heard your prayer as well as hers. Do you think I came because _you _called?" An unknown feeling which she soon came to classify as utter disappointment settled in her stomach as Cleopatra watched the angel cross the room to pick up the jar of locusts. 

"Wait a minute. So you and the Halo Patrol aren't the actual cause of these killings?" Sam questioned. 

"No, but they were committed with one of our weapons." Cas replied. "There's only one object that could've brought this into existence." Wide blue eyes flickered over to the Nephilim on the bed who was thumbing through the early books of the Bible in search of the type of power that the Staff of Moses contained. "You call it the Staff of Moses." 

"But I thought the staff turned a river into blood... not one man." 

"The weapon isn't being used at full capacity. I think we can rule Moses out as a suspect." 

Cleopatra stood to her feet and stretched her aching limbs as she cross the room to retrieve her meal that sat on the counter. "Well, considering that he's been dead for an eternity and a half, I'd say the same." She interjected, grinning widely as she stuck a curly fry into her mouth. "I am confused about something though, Cas. My father once told my brother and I about the weapons keepers in Heaven. If there are weapons keepers, why are these insanely powerful items on _Earth?" _

_"_Before the Apocalypse, Heaven may have been corrupt, but it was stable. The staff was safely contained." The Seraph paused as the gentle flutter of wings met his ears, and he sharply turned on his heel to gaze upon the woman he adored who sat tucked on the bed with a cheese-burger now poised between her hands. "It's been chaos up there. In the confusion, a number of powerful weapons were stolen." 

As he continued to divulge what had been occurring in Heaven since Sam had jumped into Hell, Cleopatra concentrated on what a chaotic paradise would look like. Blood on the ground and electrified air akin to the acrid smell of charred flesh. Corpses on the main road and wings imprinted into the ground, all the way to the pearly gates that were engulfed in the brightest flames she had ever seen. 

_A world on fire. _

"I need your help. All three of you." Gentle fingers prodded at her knee, drawing Cleopatra out of her trance to meet the pleading gaze of her boyfriend. He very clearly had the right intentions, but Sam was not willing to submit to them after being seemingly abandoned by the Seraph. 

"That's rich. Really." The younger brother replied bitterly. Castiel slowly tilted his head to the side as he examined both brothers and tossed the jar of locusts to Sam.

"Sam, Dean.. my people skills are _rusty,_" Cas sharply remarked, sure to convey his point by the use of _air quotations _of all things, as he continued. "Pardon me, but I have spent the last year as a multi-dimensional wavelength of celestial intent. I have only returned to be with Cleopatra. But believe me when I say this, you do not want that weapon down here! Help me find it.. or more people will die." 

Dean paused and gave a swift nod of approval before turning back to his computer. 

"Okay, well if the angels didn't do it.. then that brings up back to motive." Cas furrowed his brow in confusion, unaware of Cleopatra slowly crawling up the bed as she moved to wrap her arms around his waist from behind, nestling her face into the warmth of his coat. 

"What?" 

"Back to the case." Sam replied. "Now we have three dead cops with the only thing linking them being a newspaper article." He reached down for the paper that laid on the table and gently handed it over to the angel. The title of the paper read, **_Father of slain victim calls for investigation. _**

***

An angel had manipulated a boy no older then thirteen years old into selling his soul in exchange for a sawed off portion of the Staff of Moses, which had been used in the deaths of all three cops involved with the murder of Christopher Burch. After transporting Aaron back to their motel room, Castiel laid the unconscious boy on the bed with the intention of reading his soul in order to find out which angel had bought it. 

"Cas, you're just-" Dean struggled to find coherent words as alert emerald eyes flickered over to Cleopatra, who was leaning against the door with her arms cross over her chest. "Cleopatra, with all due respect, can you _please _jump on my side here?! There's no way you can support this!" 

"I don't support torturing a child,'' She replied sharply. "Especially when you claim there to be no other way." Cleopatra stood from her spot and crossed the room to meet the angel, tugging on the sleeve of his trench coat as she stood on her tiptoes to whisper in his ear. Dean watched a flurry of different emotions pass through Cas' eyes as she offered him a solution, one much less painful for the boy and with easier access. 

The two of them switched places and Cleopatra sat down on the edge of the bed, curling her hand over Aarons forehead as she slowly began to pry through his memories. All three men watched in amazement as her eyes snapped open, their usual melted gold color flickering around the room in utter awe and astonishment as she lived the life of a thirteen year old through her own eyes. She saw Aaron and Christopher when they were children. First days of school and family dinners and Christmases. 

The boy never moved. 

"Have you found the memory yet, Flower?" Castiels baritone rumbled in her ear as she approached a door at the end of the mirage of memories; A door that had been jarred open just enough for her to slip through. Her shoes padded quietly against the floor as she entered a rather large room - the music that blared through the speakers at the top of the stairs slowly faded into white noise as she caught the eyes of the figure standing behind the grand piano on the stage. 

He sauntered out of the shadows and gave her a once over before calling out, "_Hello gorgeous." _

Cleopatra snapped awake when she felt Cas' fingers resting against her temples, no doubt using her encounter with Aaron's memories to find out the name of the angel she had seen. The Seraphim pressed his lips together as the woman beneath him gently began to sway, eyes fluttering as he threatened to pull her into slumber. It only took another moment before she was unconscious in his arms. 

"Did you just-" 

"Put her to sleep, yes. It takes quite alot of energy for a Nephilim to pry through memories of humans, angels, demons. There's still much about her that you two are unaware of." Cas replied. Given that she was one of the few Nephilims still in existence, there was still quite a bit about her powers that he himself did not know about. The only thing he had been told as a fledgling was that the Nephilim were the unholiest of abominations, and if born to a specific class of angel, had the power to destroy the world.

But not her. She was far too pure to commit such an act. 

"Well, did you get the name?" 

"_Balthazar." _He spoke. A comrade in arms, a friend, a brother. "A good friend."

"Balthazar." All three men whipped around at the new presence in the room, another angel moonlighting as a soldier for Raphael. Castiels demeanor immediately changed at the threat as his angel blade slid from his coat directly into the palm of his hand. "Thanks Castiel, we'll make good use of the name." 

The angels met in a clash of steel, sparks flying with each strike of their blade. Dean and Sam scurried into the corner of the room, unsure of what to do, until they saw that Cleopatra was stirring where she rested beside Aaron on the bed. Upon hearing the sounds of struggle, Cleopatra stood from the bed and curled her fingers into a fist at her side, snapping her hand outward as she threw the other angel in the direction of the windows. 

_Go, Castiel. _

"By the way, Raphael says hello." 

Before anyone could comprehend what was happening, the Seraphim dropped himself into a starting position before sprinting forward to lunge at his brother, shattering the glass of the windowpane as they plummeted to the ground together.

A horn began to blare from the car on the street as Castiel slammed into the roof, ultimately bending the metal and simultaneously shattering the windshield. The trio still inside the room peered through the broken pane to glance at the ruins of the vehicle as Castiel brought himself to his feet and the renegade angel disappeared.

It was Sam who broke the stunned silence. 

"_My car!"_

***

"You two really need to brush up on your biblical lore. Anyone with half a brain knows that Raphael is one of the Archangels." Cleopatra explained as Castiel rushed around the motel room in search of the ingredients he needed to perform the ritual that would help them find Balthazar. "He wants to bring us back to Apocalypse world and basically end the Universe. Look at that, he's an even bigger idiot then you two!" 

Dean crossed his arms and eyed the Nephilim skeptically. "Are you going to continue to insult me or-" 

"It's my day job. I end at four." 

Castiel snickered quietly beneath his breath as he finished the tracking spell and pinpointed Balthazars last location, wrapping his fingers around Cleopatras wrist as the four of them transported to a house that very much resembled a modern day Liberace. 

"You are supposed to venture inside with me." Cas murmured as he pulled her against him just enough that he could whisper in her ear. Cleopatra shivered at the heat that radiated from the angel as she turned her head to meet his gaze. "Balthazar is my best friend. He will be very interested in meeting the woman our Father set aside as my soulmate." 

"Great!" She replied, rubbing her hands together in anticipation. "Let's go meet the family!" 

They entered a room similar to the one she had seen in Aaron's mind, where neon lighting flickered against the walls of the stage and dance music that reminded her of the seventies blared from unseen speakers. The pair eyed one another suspiciously as the doors slammed shut. 

''Ah, Cas." An unfamiliar voice greeted. Cleopatra turned around and stepped in front of the Seraph as the figure emerged, wearing the face of the man she had seen. "And the gorgeous girl without a name. Pleasure to make your acquaintance Miss.." 

"Cleopatra. Heaven's unholiest Nephilim." The angel, who she expected to scurry backward in alarm, merely smirked as he met the signature flash of eyes to convey to him that she was here strictly on business. "And I'm guessing you're Balthazar. You are.. handsomer then I pictured." 

"Now I see why you are the perfect complement for our dear buddy Cas here. Which by the way, hello.. old friend." Balthazar greeted, giving Cleopatra a once over as he stepped off of the stage. 

"Why are you not afraid of me? All the other angels I've met and killed were terrified of the _concept _of the Nephilim, let alone meeting one in real life." She interjected. "Not that I'm complaining, but I'm curious." 

Balthazar paused in the midst of his course to meet the other angel and sharply turned on his foot, gripping his chin with his thumb and index finger as if he were in the midst of some deep thought. "I've known for a while that you were destined for this guy right here. I know his heart. I know _him. _The only reason I'm not cowering in fear of you?" He stated, eyes inches away from her own as they stood before one another. "Because you have a greater purpose to this story. Which, I'm afraid, I'm not going to be directly involved in. What a shame." 

"A shame indeed." She replied. "You are quite delicious." 

As expected, Cleopatra grinned victoriously when Castiels nostrils flared out of annoyance and the Seraph possessively pulled her into his grasps, arms wound around her waist. "We have fought together many times, Balthazar. I grieved your death." 

"Ah yes, sorry about that. But as you can see," He gestured to the room around him. "I'm doing whatever I want now. Freedom at its finest! This morning I had a menage... What's French for 12?" 

"This is the guy who stole the Staff of Moses?" 

"Oh darling, I stole _alot _of things." 

Castiel shook his head out of disappointment. "You are a great and honorable soldier. We fought together. I know you.. You are not some common thief. But the real reason why I'm here.." Cleopatra softly gasped when she caught sight of Balthazars eyes, which almost perfectly mirrored the iciness of winters crystals. "I need your help." 

"I know. I've been hearing about the two of you for several days now. And as far as I'm concerned, you and me Cas, nothing has changed." He replied, peering around his comrade to glance at the woman behind him. "And as for your Nephilim, well... I believe I have a friendship to strike up." 

Cleopatra grinned victoriously as she began an eager victory clap. "This is what I'm here for!" She exclaimed. "Drowning in brotherly love!" Castiel pursed his lips as he pondered his next question to Balthazar, one he was sure the angel would not be fond of. 

“I need the weapons, Balthazar.”

As to be expected, the angels face fell almost immediately. “Oh, for the love of-“ He muttered. “Don’t ask _that_!” 

“Why take them to begin with? Why run away?” 

Balthazars eyes flickered over to the Nephilim who was gaping at him with a clear expression of realization as to what his real intentions were in stealing the weapons from Heavens cache. “Because I can.” He replied. Cas’ expression remained confused as he continued. “What? The footsteps I’m following, they’re yours. What you did, stopping the big prize fight, you did more then just rebel. You tore up the whole script and burned the pages for us.” 

“All of the choices we have made have had dire consequences, Balthazar.” Cleopatra countered. When God puts together an abomination with the only rebellious angel in his garrison, you are sure to attract some unwanted attention. I get what you’re saying... I really do. Unbridled freedom at its finest.”

Balthazar smiled fondly and rose his glass. “I’m growing to like you more and more, Cleopatra.” 

“But of all the choices you have.. this is what you decide to do with that freedom?” Castiel questioned. After his fall from grace, the Seraph had used his newfound freedom to pursue a relationship with the woman at his side - one who truly understood the depths of his loss and treated him like her counterpart, as opposed to the way that he often found Dean treating him.

”I mean, screw it right? Dad’s not coming back. Might as well blow coke and jump on the bed. You proved to me that we could do anything, so I’m trying _everything_.” 

“It’s civil war up there!” Cas snapped. “If we can beat Raphael, we can end this! You just...” His tone bordered on pleading as he futilely attempted to bargain with the angel who had shared many battles by his side, had a fair amount of blood on his own hands and understood just how deeply Castiel cared for his brethren. “Just give me the weapons.”

Balthazar laughed bitterly and downed the last of the liquid in his glass. “You know what’s funny about you?” He asked. “You believe you can actually stop the fighting!” The angel turned his gaze to Cleopatra, who was absently trailing the room and twirling her angel blade between her fingers, very clearly bored by the conversation. “You want my advice? Grab that woman you so clearly adore and fake your own death. Go to some corner of the world and live the life you want to live, Cas. The one you actually deserve.” 

As much as he would have love to comply to such an idea, Cleopatra was not the source of his immediate concern. Stopping his brothers and sisters from tearing one another apart and keeping the peace was what he needed to fulfill at the moment. 

“You’ve gone insane.” 

“That’s what makes him so delicious,” Cleopatra interjected, grinning widely at Balthazar as she clung to Castiels shoulders. “But as I’m sure you’re aware, Raphael definitely knows you’re alive by now, so your impromptu getaway is over. However I’d love to have the pleasure of personally kicking that archangel into next week with my two favorite Seraphs by my side.”

”It would be my utmost pleasure, Miss Carter.” 

A sudden crash of thunder echoed through the room, sending chills up Cleo’s spine as she pressed herself against Cas. Before she could shout orders to Balthazar, the angel disappeared without a trace, leaving the two of them alone for the first time in days. In the midst of the flicker of lightning against the walls did another angel appear, which prompted Castiel to gently push Cleopatra out of the way so he could meet his kin in battle. 

“Please, you’re making a mistake-“ Despite his pleads, the opposing angel continued stalking towards the Seraph as if he were trapping his prey. “Brother, I don’t want to hurt you-“ 

A dexterous figure slid underneath him instantly, angel blade glowing in the moonlight as she hurled the blade directly through the angels heart, unfazed by the explosion of bright light that obscured her vision. When the spots cleared, Cleopatra retrieved her blade and turned to meet Raphael - who was holding Castiel against him with his forearm pressed against his windpipe. 

“That’s simply it, Castiel. They don’t listen to you because their hearts are _mine_.” 

Cleopatra felt the scream of his name bubble in her throat as Cas was thrown through the doors, ultimately defenseless against Raphael as the Archangel continued to batter his vessel. And even as she watched him be ruthlessly kicked down the flight of stairs, she still remained frozen in place. 

_Please don’t take him from me too. _

“I don’t think God will be bringing you back this time.” 

With absolutely no concern for herself, the Nephilim threw herself across the floor and directly in front of her boyfriend, bright eyes lit with unadulterated fear as the Archangel rose his blade for the final blow that would most definitely be her end. Warm hands desperately prodded for a hold on her form as Balthazar called out something incoherent to her ears, giving Cleopatra enough time to turn and study Castiels injuries as long as the Archangels attention was elsewhere. 

“Are you alright?” She whispered repeatedly, hands gently stroking the unshaven stubble that lined the frame of his jaw as he stared at her in wonder. It was hard to see the concern of how easily she’d risked her life to save his own lingering in his blue eyes darkened by the shadows that surrounded them. “You scared me half to death, you stupid angel-“ 

“I am well, Flower. Much better knowing that he didn’t take you from me.” He replied softly. A familiar warmth spread through his body the moment her fingers ghosted over his nose and the shape of his lips, her grace working feverishly to mend what had been broken in the midst of the altercation. 

“You lovebirds are so beautiful that it actually makes me sick.” Balthazar groaned, despite the fact that his face was lit up in an ear to ear grin as he watched his newest friend care for his oldest one. “Anyway, now that Raphael has to go shopping for a new vessel,” He gestured to the pile of iodized salt on the floor. “That should give me enough of a head start on him.” 

“It has been a pleasure to meet you, Balthazar.” Cleopatra called out as she helped Cas to his feet. “Until next time.” 

“No time like the present.” Deans voice suddenly interjected as he allowed the lighter poised in his fingers to slip from his grasps, igniting the ring of holy fire that surrounded Balthazar. The angels expression contorted into one of anger as his icy blue eyes snapped up to meet Deans. “Before I do anything, you’re taking your marker off of Aaron Birch’s soul.”

His eyebrows furrowed in amusement. “Oh, am I?”

”Sam!”

The younger Winchester immerged from the corner with a jar of holy oil safely tucked in his arms. “Unless you prefer to have your wings extra crispy.” He popped the lid on the jar. “I’d think about it.” 

“Castiel,” Balthazar turned towards the Seraph that stood on the outside of the ring of holy fire, head dipped down to his chest and blue eyes cast on the angel held within. “I stood for you in Heaven, I supported your union with this woman from the Dawn of time.. are you really going to let these two-“

Cas held his hand up to silence Balthazar.

If you aren’t keenly aware of the difference between Castiel and Cas, listen. Castiel is a soldier of the Lord, an angel bred to take and carry out his orders. He has fought the cruelest of heavenly battles, smote countless demons and protected his kind with every stab of his blade. 

But Cas?

Cas is the angel who fell from grace when he entered that park in the small town of Lawrence and fell in love with the Nephilim he was meant to kill. Cas is the one who will willingly sit and listen to her dark, somber stories about the day her brother and father were killed, and he was the one who held her when she was deep in her grief. 

He is the one who defied Heaven to be with his soulmate. He put aside the blade and his birthright to live what was hopefully a fulfilling life at the side of the woman his Father had created just for _him_. 

That was the difference between Castiel and Cas. Castiel was the soldier Incapable of emotion, and Cas was the one who felt everything. His heart had been softened by his utter reverence for humanity. 

“I believe the hairless ape has the floor.” He returned, his rough baritone echoing amidst the silence as the four of them keenly waited for Balthazars rebuttal. Much to their shock, the angel did as requested and removed his brand from Aaron Birch’s soul - completely unaware of the idea that would spark in Castiels mind after his next statement. 

“Why are you buying up souls anyway?”

Balthazar scoffed. “What, in this economy? Do you have any idea what souls are worth? How much power they hold?”

A light switch flipped on in the Seraphs mind as Cleopatra stepped before him, eyes alit as she snapped her fingers to lower the ring of holy fire. If he could get the amount of souls needed to fuel his side of the lines with the war in Heaven, the power they contained would potentially be enough to halt Raphael’s efforts and force him to surrender. 

“Cleopatra, what was that?!”

The Nephilim rose her eyes to meet those of the angel who stood before her. “Cas’ debt is now cleared.” She replied. “And our acquaintanceship continues.”

”Fair enough.” He bowed his head. “Until we meet again, Cleopatra.”

And the angel was gone in a flutter of wings, but not before Castiel gripped Cleopatras shoulders in his arms and both vanished from the sight of the Winchester brothers. 

***

“You must remain by the boys side until I return.”

Here they stand in an unfamiliar clearing lined with wild sunflowers, the crisp scent of clean air carrying on the breeze that flowed through her loose hair. The sun hung low in a near cloudless sky, which mirrored the golds of her eyes and the blazing scarlet color of roses. There was a peace that hung over them with the lack of people - a peace that only fell when they were well and truly alone. 

Cleopatra swallowed the lump in her throat. 

“Where are you going now, Cas?”

The angel paused in his response to turn around and look at the woman who stood opposite of him. She had since changed into a freely flowing white sundress, feet adorned in gold sandals and hair loosely flowing over the swell of her chest. Her face was clear of any makeup, highlighting the opaqueness of her skin. Despite the fact she radiated beauty, Castiel ignored all of this for the most remarkable feature - how tenderly she gazed at him.

”I must return home to assist with the war effort, Cleopatra.” He said softly, closing the gap between their bodies to take her hands in his own. She moved close enough to poise on the tips of her toes, her free hand gradually sinking into the soft tresses that often hid his eyes from her. Castiel slowly exhaled as he simply allowed himself to just _be_, even for a moment, with the woman he adored. “I will return. It is my most sacred vow that I pledge such to you, so you know how deeply I-“ 

The words always caught in his throat, as to be expected. 

“You don’t have to say anything else, Cas.” She said. “I already know.” To prove her knowledge, Cleopatra slung her other arm around his neck and reeled him in for a kiss. What she expected to be a gentle caress to refamiliarize himself with her was nothing of the sort, for when the angel made contact with the warm, pliant flesh of her mouth, his kiss became desperate. She could do nothing but whimper at the contact when Castiels arm wound around her waist, aligning her hips perfectly with his own as he took the window of opportunity to tease the seam of her lips open. 

“My heart,” His declaration started as a whisper when he moved his lips from her own to allow air to freely flow into her lungs, focusing his attention on the thrum of her pulse at the base of her neck. “My Flower, the woman who holds my holiest devotion and has carried me with her wherever she goes.. let this be my declaration.” The Seraphs hand slid lower, a brave move on his part, to loosely hook her leg around the frame of his hip. 

That was what caught her off guard - The wandering hands, the desire shining in his eyes, the warmth of him pressed up against her. She has never imagined Castiel to be so _brave_, much less dominant in situations such as these. But with the way he fought so fiercelessly, the way he ordered demands, she wasn’t surprised. 

“Cas-“ She whined, inhaling sharply as Castiel grazed his teeth over the mark he’d left at the base of her neck - A prize Dean and Sam were sure to mention upon her return. Her grip on his suit tightened significantly as she fought to blink away the stars that danced in her vision and the wobbling of her knees that threatened to buckle beneath her. 

“No matter the circumstances or how dark it may seem, no matter where my feet land, or my vessel takes me, I solemnly swear to return home.” She caught his chin in her hand and tapped the back of his knee with her foot, motioning him closer. Castiel held his breath as her lips touched his own - barely registering the feel of her, almost as if it were a phantom touch. “Home is no longer Heaven. Home for me is where ever you stand.. the pounding of your heart, the gentle lull of your voice when you sing, thinking no one is listening. The way your arms have held me at my weakest.. Home is not a place anymore. You are my home.”

Her words flowed past her lips on a whisper as he reluctantly parted himself from her, within they could remain in that clearing with the wild sunflowers a moment longer. Castiel gazed at her one last time over his shoulder before unfurling his wings for the flight home. 

“And you are mine.”

Sunflowers: They symbolize longevity, loyalty, and adoration. _Adoration_. She would never second guess his loyalty to her, never falter in believing just how much her angel adored her. And as she watched the sun disappear behind the trees, Cleopatra pressed a kiss to her hand and threw it into the sky.

Now she knew why Gabriel called her Sunflower. 

And so she uttered thanks to the man who has given her the nickname.

“Thanks, Uncle Gabe.” 


	35. Aeron Macleod - The Boy King of Hell

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cambion are revered.   
Nephilim are hated.   
But how does THIS Cambion feel about the Destroyer of Heaven?

They called him Aeron Macleod. He was a Cambion, the child of a human and a demon. While the Nephilim were the most feared creatures by the host of Heaven, Cambion were revered in Hell. And with his Daddy being the King, who's to say that Aeron won't inherit the crown?

_<><><>><><><>_

_Previously, in the always exciting lives of the Winchester brothers and their Nephilim.._

_Dean turns into a vampire while Sam watches. Gets cured. _

_Drunk antics, truth or dare, the whole nine yards._

_Cleopatra meets the Goddess of Truth and finds out Sam has no soul._

_Dean does a little too much staring when she captures the monsters they're meant to send to Crowley with ease, barely lifting a finger in the process. _

_<><><><><><><><><><><><>_

She's sitting on one of the rickety chairs when Dean and Sam finally return from their drop off location, both brothers equally irritated judging by their expressions. "Well?" She inquired. "Did it go well?" 

Dean grunted in reply as he shed his jacket and hung it over the back of her chair, only vaguely catching the scribble of Cas' name before she waved her hand and slammed the book shut as she stood to her feet. "About as well as it could go, considering now I need a daily rape shower." He replied. 

"How 'bout you, Mr. Soulless?" Cleopatra turned her attention to Sam, whose eyes gleamed under the dimmed light as he bent his head to meet her eyes. "Are you itching to get your soul back yet? Working with Crowley is the only way we're gonna accomplish it." 

"Cleopatra, I'm working for Crowley. Doesn't that say enough?" 

Satisfied with his answer, Cleopatra allowed Dean to continue rambling as she extended her hand toward the mantle, grinning victoriously when the bottle of whiskey flew directly into her grasps. It was only when both of them noticed Sams lack of response that they snapped to attention, blade and gun at the ready. 

"Sammy?" Cleopatra whispered, eyes widening as she caught sight of Sams unconscious form on the floor. Before she could even react, Dean soon followed, and her blade pierced the soft flesh of the demons abdomen just as he fastened the Enochian handcuffs on her wrists - One of the only things in all of Creation that could contain a Nephilim. "Gods, every single time I see you, it makes me hate you more." 

The demon she spoke to grinned widely as she knelt before Cleopatra, dark eyes shifting from their ominous brown color to that of pure obsidian. The last time she had seen Meg was the same night that Ellen and Jo had died, and the two had never properly been introduced. Dean and Sam had told her enough as it was. "Hello to you too, gorgeous." Meg mused. "No wonder Castiel adores you so much." 

Meg recoiled as Cleopatra reared her head and slammed it into her nose, gold eyes alight with wildfire. "You keep _my _angel's name out of your revolting mouth." She snarled. Meg smirked and clucked her tongue in distaste, prepared for a witty comeback that was interrupted by Dean. 

"You know, I'm not one for woman on woman," Dean interrupted. "But I could see some _seriously _kinky things happening here-" The elder Winchester gasped as a piece of debris flew across the room and slammed against his temple. "_Ow!"_

Cleopatra ground her teeth together so hard that it made her ears ring. "Dean, Sam, I think _it _would like to have a word with you." 

After what felt like an eternity of the brothers bickering with their least favorite demon, they eventually came to the conclusion they'd have to work together in order to find where Crowley was hidden. But what was at the forefront of her mind was not where the supposed King of Hell was hiding, but rather _why _he was capturing Alphas for interrogation. 

"Boys, can one of you pick these locks?" 

Dean paused in his remark to Sam as both brothers turned toward their half breed who was still kneeling on the floor. "Of all the handcuffs in the world, those are the ones you can't break?" Dean questioned, snickering as Cleopatra desperately flailed her arms behind her. "Any particular reason why?" 

"Because, _genius, _they're etched with Enochian sigils meant to trap an angel. I'm half angel, hence the trapping." She retorted. "Unlock the stupid things and I'll go call on the one being that'll be able to help us-" 

Sam snickered quietly as Dean bent down and began working on picking the cuffs. "Oh no, I'm going to be the one who calls on Cas." He replied. ''Time for that son of a ***** to finally answer my prayers for once." 

Leaving the pair alone, the younger Winchester stepped out onto the open road outside their temporary quarters and began his prayer to their Seraphim, who had not been seen in quite some time. The night air was cool against his skin as Sam cast his eyes toward Heaven where he was sure that Castiel was doing great works in Heaven in the war against Raphael. 

"Castiel, we need you. It's important." He opened one eye and peered up and down the street before continuing. "Cas, we found something. It's this gold box, the Nazis tried to open it back in the day and someones face melted off. Cleopatra was the one who told us what it was. Are you ready for this?" Sam paused for a moment. "The Ark of the Covenant."

"I'm here Sam." The gravelly baritone echoed from behind him as Sam sharply pivoted on his feet to meet the angel who stood before him. "Where is the box?" 

Sam sharply exhaled in utter disbelief, amazed that Cas was naive enough to believe such a story. "I can't believe she was right. You fell for it. That was the plot of _Raiders, _you idiot." 

Castiel shook his head disappointingly, oblivious to the lingering presence of Cleopatra who stood hidden in the shadows behind him. "I am _mid _battle, Sam!" 

"I could not care less about your pissing match with Raphael. You _owe _me! We are not here to talk this out-''

Cleopatras eyes narrowed as she curved her body around the tree in the front yard, fingers curling into the bark as she watched the exchange. Part of her knew that if Sam had a soul he would not be so blunt, so straightforward. Castiel had enough of an impact on the lives of the Winchesters that if he were to die, it would gravely affect them both. 

"If you don't help us, I will hunt you down, and I will _kill _you!" 

"Will you, boy?"

_Wow, that was hot._

The threat lingering on the edge of Cas' tone did not go unnoticed, neither did the way he straightened his spine and stared Sam down with the wrath of Heaven lingering in the depths of his cobalt eyes. 

She took that as her cue to burst from the trees, hand extended as the Latin words_ in deliquium cadunt _freely flowed from her lips. Cas watched in astonishment as Sams eyelashes began to flutter and he fell unconscious on the side of the road. 

"Hi sweetheart." Cleopatra greeted as she bent down and placed two fingers on Sams head in hopes he would wake shortly, as so not to arouse suspicion from Dean. The Seraph furrowed his brow in confusion as his girlfriend stood to her feet and began to close the gap left between their bodies. "I'm guessing you're wondering-"

"Where did the Latin come from?"

"Oh, it's not magic. I promise. It's just much more fun to speak it instead of flailing my limbs like an idiot." Cleopatra replied, lips curved upward in a smile as she hooked her foot around his ankle to urge him closer. Castiel sank into the familiarity of her body, the pads of his fingers kneading the small strip of skin that lined her hips as she pressed the softest of kisses just at the base of his ear. 

And let me inform you of something - If you have never heard Castiel actually _groan, _it is one of the most sensual sounds one can hear under Heaven. "But honey.. oh, how I put a spell on you."

***

Dean gaped as Sam reentered the house with Castiel and Cleopatra trailing behind him, immediately noticing the scarlet blush that dusted the angels cheeks and the seductive dance of fingertips along his shoulders. He swallowed the knot in his throat and wet his lips.

"The spell won't work, Dean." Castiel remarked. "Crowley is hidden from me." 

"Well, it looks like we're going to have to try this the hard way." 

Their excursion brought them into the dingy, years old hideout of the Campbells, digging throughout the files in Samuels office for any sign of where Crowley would be hiding. Castiel and Cleopatra each guarded their own respective exits as Dean and Sam rifled through their grandfathers belongings. 

The cock of a shotgun snapped her out of her trance, and before Samuel could react, the weapon turned to dust in his hands. "Rule one, old man." Cleopatra chided as she allowed her hand to rest at her side once again. "_Never _pull a weapon on me or my boys. You'll live to regret it later." 

He was fairly sure she was being truthful.

"Somethin' I can help you with?" Samuel questioned, his eyes narrowing in on Dean as he and Sam turned to face their grandfather. 

"Yeah, we wanna know where Crowley is." Dean replied sharply. 

Cleopatra gently nudged Castiel closer to her, arms crossed over her chest as she casually leaned into his shoulder. While Cas preferred no openly intimate acts while on a hunt, she had found for quite some time that she felt safer when in close proximity of him. 

"Look, I'd like to help, but I can't. I'm sorry." 

Dean clenched his jaw so tightly that he was able to feel the individuals muscles tick beneath his skin, steely gaze settled on the one man he so desperately wished would feel some sort of compassion for his grandchildren. "What is _wrong _with you?" He jeered. "Do you want to work for Crowley? This is your grandsons soul!" 

When Samuel made no effort to reply, Dean turned toward Cleopatra and Castiel standing on the opposite side of the room. "Casopatra, can you give us a minute?" Before she could even react, the Seraphs fingers loosely wound around her wrist, and they were suddenly standing on the road outside their temporary home. 

"I cannot stand that man." Cleopatra muttered. A gentle chill pierced the air, causing the Nephilim to vigorously rub her hands up and down her arms in order to create friction that would warm her up. Cas narrowed his eyes and moved to slip his coat from his shoulders, gingerly laying the material over her own. Cleopatra felt her breathing hitch as his fingers skimmed the dip of her spine before lightly squeezing her hip. Much to his surprise, it did nothing to jar her from the impending ramble. "So arrogant and so full of-"

"Samuel believes that what he is doing is right, Flower." Castiel murmured. "He is looking for a semblance of normalcy to make his adjustment on Earth easier. If you had the opportunity to bring your father and Reagan home, would you do it no matter the cost?" 

Cleopatra turned her head just enough to look at him over her shoulder, fingers wound in the material of his trench coat as she softly nodded. That was all the confirmation he needed. 

"The only difference between Samuel and I, Cas? I would consider the consequences of allowing a demon to bring my loved one home. Samuel is fueled by grief and has not taken Dean or Sam into consideration. They're his grandchildren, his _blood-" _The Nephilim smiled as he lead her toward the front door, his hand hovering over the small of her back as she pushed it open to allow them both inside. "He has no compassion for those boys or the way they lost their mother, and I do because I've lived it. That's what makes us different from each other." 

A comfortable silence ensued as the two of them separated - Cleopatra retreating to her journal she had left on the table while Castiel took interest in whatever Dean had left open on his laptop. She poised the pen in between her fingers and wrote **_The Battle for Sam Winchesters Soul _**in bold print across the top. 

It was half an hour later after the brothers returned that she heard it, the unmistakable sounds of hands slapping skin and moaning coming from Deans laptop. Eyes wide, Cleopatra turned to face the Seraph that sat with his elbows pressed against his knees as he indulged in the content on the laptop.

"I don't understand. If this pizza man really loves this baby sitter," The trio gazed at one another in what could've been alarm or utter humiliation as Castiels eyes narrowed. "Why does he keep slapping her rear? Perhaps she's done something wrong." 

Dean glared daggers as Cleopatra broke into hysterical laughter from where she sat on the opposite side of the room, her entire body trembling as she desperately attempted to breathe in between fits. "Oh-my-" She rasped as she jabbed a thumb at Dean. "This? T-This is on _you, _Deano!" 

"Cas, are you watching porn? Why?" 

"It was there."

_What a typical answer for someone who clearly doesn't get why porn is wrong. _

Cleopatra patted his shoulders sympathetically. "It's okay honey." She said reassuringly. "It's not your fault you rebelled for two morons who don't have the courtesy to tell you _why _you need to never watch porn again. Or maybe they do." Her eyes twinkled humorously as her gaze flitted to Dean. "Humor me, old man." 

"Call me old again-"

Sam snorted and punched Dean in the arm. "_Dean."_

The elder Winchester sighed and set down the research he had been working on with his brother. "Cas, you don't watch porn with other people around. Or talk about it with a room full of dudes and a chick. It's just weird. So please, for the love of God, _turn it off." _

A knock on the door interrupted the four as Dean stood to his feet, grimacing as Castiel glanced down to his lap. "Oh no, now he's got a boner." He muttered, flipping off Cleopatra who merely grinned victoriously as he moved toward the door. "That's your territory, Sunshine." 

After Samuels unexpected arrival, he removed a map from the pocket of his coat and began to fill in Dean and Sam about Crowleys hideaway and how it was very nearly impenetrable. He, unsuprisingly, opted out of the mission - which prompted the team of demons to willingly join in on the excursion to seek out the King of Hell. 

Meg smirked as her dark gaze flickered up and down Castiels vessel. There was no lying about just how attractive he was - dark hair, romantic eyes, looked a little bit more dangerous then he probably was. In the face of his enemies, the Seraph often wore a vacant expression that accompanied what appeared to be expressionless eyes. "Remember me?" She cooed. "Cause I sure remember you, Clarence." 

"Why are we working with these abominations?" 

"Oh, please keep talking dirty." Meg replied. "It makes my meat suit all dewy." 

Cleopatra pulled her bottom lip between her teeth and bit into the delicate flesh so hard that the copper tang of blood soon filled her mouth. When one of the most repulsive abominations to ever set foot upon the Earth flirted with the one person you were supposed to spend the rest of your life with, however long that might have been, one tends to become a little possessive. 

"Alright, simmer down. We know where Crowley is." 

"Great. Do tell?"

"Yeah, so you can just leave us for dead. Smart.'' Sam interjected. 

"You boys have serious abandonment issues, you know that?" Meg chided distastefully. 

"We'll show you." Cleopatra remarked sharply. "Because we're all going together." 

The demon sharply turned on her heel to face the Nephilim, who stood several feet away with her arms defensively crossed over her chest and bright eyes peeled for any sign of danger. If she looked hard enough, Meg almost swore she could see the outline of two massive wings fanned out before the brothers, who remained oblivious to the motion. _Protective of those who take no notice of it. _

"And I'm supposed to just trust you?" 

"I've come to learn since I've become a hunter not to trust anyone like you." She snarled. "The only people I trust are standing at my side, and they know as well as I do that you're not that stupid." Sam stepped up beside her and extended his hand, both pairs of eyes locked on the demon knife that hung from the sheath at Megs hip. "Give him the knife." 

"No. I'm not that stupid." 

"Do you want us to take you to Crowley or _not?" _

Meg reluctantly handed the younger Winchester the knife. Before anyone could comprehend what was going on. Sam turned to the demon at his side and plunged the blade into the soft flesh of his abdomen, emitting a bright amber glow from his eyes as the being within the vessel was extinguished, and the body fell to the ground in a heap. 

"You saw him. He was more interested in killing us then getting the job done." Sam said. "I just did us all a _favor."_

Castiel watched as Meg gave him a once over before disappearing, leaving him to follow on the trails of his angered girlfriend as she stormed back into the house to assist Dean in packing for their excursion. Halfway through gathering her supplies tucked into the corner of the room and blissfully ignoring Castiel, did the angel in question decide to speak up. 

"Cas, you know you could be helping your girlfriend and I pack." Dean called out. "She's working too, you know." 

"I'm ambivalent about what we're doing." Cas replied. "I'm not sure retrieving Sam's soul is wise." 

Cleopatra shouldered her satchel and stood to her feet to regard Castiel. Dean glanced at the raven haired woman through his peripheral vision, and when he saw she made no effort to speak up, "Wait, what?" He questioned. "Why?" 

"_I want him to survive." _Her stomach churned as she listened to his words. "Sams soul has been locked in the cage with Michael and Lucifer for more then a year. And they have nothing to do but take their frustrations out on him, do you understand? If we try to force that mutilated thing down Sams gullet, we have no idea what will happen. It could be catastrophic." 

''So if you force a vessel to take a tortured soul _back _into its original host, that person doesn't die. They just deal with the pain that comes with the broken soul." Cleopatra murmured. Castiel nodded in acknowledgement. 

"Precisely. Paralysis, insanity, psychic pain so profound that he's locked inside of himself for the rest of his life. Best case scenario? He could be fine. But as someone with a bit of foreknowledge in this matter, I sincerely doubt it."

Dean looked to his best friend with a desperateness in his gaze, hoping she would provide some hope in what was to potentially be a dark time for his younger brother. Sam often told him how he revered the older woman - who often offered him comfort in his most desperate hours. Cleopatra was one of two people who loved him unconditionally, no matter his sins, and he would never be able to thank her for it. 

Dean could only hope she would offer that same love -- a love of family and a protective nature over Sam -- in this moment where he needed someone elses insight as to the right decision. 

"Sam is one of the strongest men I know." Cleopatra said quietly as she moved to stand between the two men. "I truly believe that he can overcome whatever the return of his soul will bring him."

"And if it is as bad as you say it is," Dean replied, jabbing a thumb into the Seraphs chest. "Then you will _fix _him.'' 

Castiel pursed his lips, obviously contemplating how he would even begin to assess such a problem as the mending of ones soul. "Dean, I wouldn't even know where to begin-" 

"Then figure it out!"

Cleopatra lightly shook her head and placed a hand on Deans chest. "Don't make demands, Dean. Nobody likes it when orders are barked at them." Both men stiffened at the remark, reminded of their roles as soldiers to their respected Fathers - both of which had come to abandon them. Once a soldier, always a soldier. "If Cas can't figure it out, I will. For Sammy." 

"Do you believe you hold that much power? To fix a soul like that?"

A soft breath passed through her lips. In. Out. Gears turned in her mind as she lifted her chin just high enough to meet his piercing gaze. Sam was all Dean had, just like Cas was all she had. She had to _try. _Had to believe she held the power to mend Sam Winchesters soul despite the odds telling her otherwise.

"I don't know. But for my boys, my _brave_ brave boys.." Tears blurred her eyes as Dean wrapped his hand around one shoulder and Cas wrapped his own around the other. "I have to try." 

***

[_I'm gonna skip that really hot kiss for the introduction of a new character]_

The moment the angelic banishing sigil tore Castiel from her grasps, courtesy of Crowley, she woke to find a devilishly handsome man standing before her. He stood at 6'3, with eyes as dark as the night and dark curly hair that had been meticulously combed. Facial hair lined a sharp jaw, which followed by the graceful curve of broad shoulders that disappeared under a crisp navy blue suit. Numb limbs struggled to regain feeling as Cleopatra slowly eased back into consciousness only to find herself kneeling at the feet of Crowley and the man with no name. 

"What the-" Her head spun at the recollection of memories -- Megs snark, a steamy kiss, Dean and Sam pressed against her back as they fled from the hellhounds that Crowley had set upon them. When they'd approached the staircase, Castiel had been holding onto her hand, there had been angered screams of her name, and then she had woken up. 

Only to find out that Samuel had sold Sam and Dean out. 

"Ah, so you were right. She is _quite _charming." The thick British accent was what caught her off guard, at first. But given who his biological father was, Cleopatra wasn't the slightest bit surprised. "My dear half breed, why don't you flash me those pretty eyes of yours? It'd be quite a show-" 

"Aeron, _manners." _Crowley tutted. He flicked his wrist and smirked as the Enochian cuffs fell off her wrists and clattered against the floor. "Stand to your feet, Poppet. I have no intention of maiming you. Not with the Winchesters in the same building." She rubbed her raw wrists and slowly stood, eyes narrowing in on the man at Crowleys side. "Oh, do forgive him. He's not the greatest at formal introductions." 

When the alarms began sounding. the man in question kindly shooed Crowley from the room to pursue Sam, Dean and Meg. "It's nice to finally put a face to the name, Nephilim." His rich, sultry baritone echoed against the walls of the room they inhabited. "Let me see those eyes." 

"Well then, Mr. No-Name. If you wanna see the eyes," She replied, her lips quirked upward in a smirk of contempt as gold irises flickered in the shadows. "You might wanna buy me a drink first." Cleopatra snapped to attention, straightening her spine as she flicked her wrist in the direction of the wall, throwing the man directly into it. He groaned upon impact, straining against the invisible force that held him there - and that was when she noticed it. 

Eyes as red as blood. 

"Aeron." He rasped, grinning behind bloodied teeth as she moved to stand before him. "My name is Aeron Macleod, and I am to be your doom, Miss Carter." 

*** 

"Oh, and on top of that, I want to know where Cleopatra is." 

After persistent denial from Crowley about retrieving Sams soul, Dean thought it best to bring up their missing Nephilim. She had also disappeared at the same time as her boyfriend - with absolutely no trace as to where Crowley had set her. Braced on his knees with his hands evenly spread out, the King of Hell merely smiled at the mention of Cleopatra - as if there were some greater plan at work that only he knew about. 

"She's meeting an associate of mine. He's a Cambion, you see... the child of a human and a demon." He began, oblivious to the way Dean threw his arms in utter disbelief that there were now two half breeds that had crossed one anothers paths. "While the Nephilim may be loathed by the Heavenly celestial brats, Cambions are extraordinary. They are revered in Hell, and I have every intention of making sure that Aeron performs the role he was destined to play." 

"Which is?" 

"Aeron is a Celtic name, you see. It literally translates to _slaughter._" The way he grinned was venomous, a grin to convey his pride in the abomination he had created. "He is to be your sweet, innocent Nephilims undoing. While Castiel has showed her how to love, Aeron will withdraw the darkness that lingers deep within her soul. And when that happens," He leaned forward, balanced on his knees, to meet Deans gaze as a wickedly proud grin quirked his lips upward. "She'll never be the same again." 

***

"I don't cater to people like you, Macleod. You are as unholy as I am," Cleopatra snarled, crossing her arms over her chest as Aeron fell from the wall and dusted off his suit. "And this whole thing about unlocking my inner darkness? You don't have the slightest clue what I have endured, let alone what I have done. Don't act like you _know _me." 

Aeron clucked his tongue, clearly prepared for a snide answer, but he instead moved toward the door and unlocked it with a snap of his fingers. "My father told me as much. That you'd be hostile, cold, abrasive upon first meeting. But trust me when I say this, Cleopatra Carter." The Cambions lips quirked upward in a half smile as he leaned downward just enough to meet her eyes, and lightly tapped the end of her nose with his fingers. "One day you will call upon me for aid, and then you will know what allies we will become." 

Before she could respond, Aeron snapped his fingers once again, and the darkness of the cell she stood in morphed into a different room - she didn't know what part of the building it was in, just that Dean, Sam and Meg occupied it. Along with Crowley, who seemed very keen on making sure she was to not be harmed. 

"Leave them alone." 

Crowley turned away from Meg with the demon blade still poised at her chest, ominous eyes glistening as Castiel entered the room. Cleopatra gasped for air as she braced her weight against the wall opposite to the door, careful to not let herself be seen. 

"Ah, Castiel. Haven't seen you all season. Are you the Calvary now?" 

He remained impervious to the demons squandering. "Put the knife down, Crowley." Castiel demanded. 

"Are you this bossy with your girlfriend? Or even better, bossy in Heaven?" Crowley questioned. "I hear you're losing out to Raphael. The whole affair makes Vietnam look like a roller derby." Braced against the wall, Cleopatra quietly muttered under her breath the Enochian incantation for _disappear_ \- to give herself a better idea of what was really occurring behind the demon and seraphs conversation.

She peered around the corner and found herself gazing at the answer to her question. A bag of bones. Or more specifically, a bag of _Crowleys _bones. 

"What's in the gift bag?" 

"You are." Crowley felt his blood run cold in his veins as he turned his attention away from Meg, eyes solely cast on the skull poised between the Seraphs calloused fingers. "You didn't hide your bones very well." 

Cleopatra quietly crept out from her spot by the door, moving on the tips of her boots to the opposite side of the Devils Trap where Meg stood. With being unseen by the two humans in the room, she was sure that the only one who could acknowledge her presence was Castiel, who paid her no attention as he was far too focused on the task at hand. 

"Can you restore Sams soul or _not?" _

Meg froze when she heard the soft whisper of Enochian in her ear, followed by a line being drawn through her side of the Devils Trap, which granted her the ability to walk out of it. She smiled softly as a gust of wind blew past her, sure that it was Cleopatras genius at work. 

"I can't."

The tension in the room thickened as Castiel opened the bag of bones and waved his hand, absently watching as a glorious amber blaze flickered against the walls of the room. Dean and Sam watched in amazement as the demons vessel was engulfed in flames, dying screams ringing in their ears as he was reduced to a pile of smoldering ash that littered the already grimy floors. 

"Looky here boys." All three heads shot up as the Nephilim revealed herself, but only after the female demon had vanished. "It looks like we won." 

***

"Crowley was right." The four of them gathered outside the facility by the parked Impala, Cleopatra casually kicking her legs back and forth from where she sat on Sams shoulders. It had been an innocent enough request -- a piggyback ride from the giant just to see the perspective of one at a much larger height then herself. It was the first time Dean had seen Sam truly smile in months. "It's not going well for me upstairs. I wish circumstances were different. Much of the time I'd rather be here..." He lifted his chin to meet the soft eyes of the woman he adored. "With you." 

"Cas, we know you got a steaming pile on your plate. And 'Patra? We're not the ones taking good care of her. _She _takes care of _us._" Cleopatra felt her heart melt as she unhooked her legs and allowed Sam to slowly ease her back onto the pavement. "There's no need for apologies. We're your friends." 

Castiel bobbed his chin in acknowledgement and turned toward the younger Winchester. "Listen Sam." He replied. "We'll find another way." It wasn't so much as a statement, but a declaration that he was to do everything he could in order to find a way that would return Sams soul to him without any potential harm. 

"You really wanna help? Prison full of monsters. Can't just leave 'em, can't let 'em go." 

"I understand." Cleopatra exhaled softly as warm fingers laced through her own, and Castiel transported the two of them into the most secluded hall of the building. Her breath caught in her throat as she keenly watched the way his Adams apple bobbed when he swallowed, up to the shallowness of his breath when he found himself utterly infatuated by the sight of her. "I ask only one thing, my Flower.''

"And what is that thing?" 

His fingers tangled in her hair as he pulled her into a goodbye kiss - slow and languid, his touches tender as he caressed her face with the utmost gentleness. It was often in these kisses that she found herself recognizing the smaller details she had never paid attention to before. The way his thumbs grazed the apples of her cheeks. The chapped flesh of his lips, but still as soft as she had always imagined them. Her fingers always found their way to the same place, tucked under his shirt along the narrow frame of Jimmy Novaks hips, aligning them with her own to create such a delicious friction that she so often desired. 

He often broke away for soft intake of air, teasingly pulling her back by capturing her bottom lip between his teeth, eliciting a whimper from the back of her throat as she fought for the intoxicating taste he so often carried in the corners of his mouth. Cleopatra often found herself embarrassed by how easily she succumbed to the temptation of him - His touch, his kisses, his _presence. _

_"Please," _He pleaded. Her breathing stuttered as his nose grazed the column of her neck, down to the thundering of her pulse where her jaw met her ear. "Continue to remain with the boys until I return once again, and help them in finding another way to retrieve Sams soul." Castiel smiled against her skin as she trembled beneath the warmth of his kisses. "Until we see each other again, please take this token of my admiration to remember that I _will _be coming home to you." 

If only he were true to his word. 

Cleopatra gasped when she saw the pendant he produced from his coat - a glowing vial enveloped by dark wings and attached to a sterling silver chain. It took a moment for her to realize just exactly what it was - the very substance that made angels what they were, and rendered them human if taken away. Angel grace. 

"Castiel," Cleopatra breathed as he opened her palm and laid the necklace in it. "I can't take this.. It's far too precious." 

The Seraph curled her fingers over the pendant and rested her hand over her heart, cupping her jaw with the opposite hand as he leaned downward to brush his lips against the crown of her head. "There is nothing more precious to me then you, sweetheart." He whispered. "You are my heart. It is only fitting that my heart is to carry the most valuable piece of me, the very essence that makes me an angel. A poor excuse of one at least." 

"You are no poor excuse of anything. You are a brave and honorable angel, one with courage in the face of fear, and you love far deeper then any of them could even fathom." She interjected sharply with the sole intention for him to believe her words. 

Had she had less self control, Cleopatra swore she would've told him right there and then just how deeply she loved him. 

"Come home to me darling," A plea whispered desperately into his ear as the Seraph cast one last look at her, fully knowing that when they saw each other once more, she would fully know of the sins he had committed. "_Come home." _


	36. Appointment In Samarra

_No matter what Castiel had said,_

_It was her job, her obligation, to answer the questions left unsaid. Why he had yet to return to her, where had he gone, what secrets he was hiding. _

_And she had every intention of figuring it out. _

_<><><><><><><><><><><>_  
[this is basically a filler, but it's pivotal to the plot of s6. POV changes between Dean and Cleopatra]  
  
How many times have you stood in front of the mirror, braced your hands against the counter, and stared yourself into submission to do the very thing you dread doing?  
  
After weeks of non-stop hunting for answers to the retrieval of Sam's soul, Cleopatra had taken the liberty to return home for a day of rest. Castiel wouldn't dare to acknowledge her absence apart from the Winchesters due to his obligations in the war of Heaven. It was times like this she wished Azazel were still around, and that her mother hadn't allowed the cat to roam the Earth with the freedom he'd been deprived of. Some comfort would've been a luxury.   
  
"You're gonna go to Bobby Singers house." She repeated firmly, peering through a veil of dark hair to eye herself in the mirror. The last time she had studied herself so thoroughly was the morning after Gabriels death - covered in his blood, face gaunt and emaciated, eyes blank... akin to the sight of a ghost. However, since she'd been hunting with the boys, her muscles had toned, she had gained a considerable amount of color, and the sparkle in her eyes that Castiel often fawned over had returned. "You're gonna tell him your suspicions about Cas, and you're gonna go track down that angel. Because-''  
  
_Because you love him too much to see him hurt. To see what these suspicions will bring in the end. _  
  
"Please, Father." The words fell off her lips in a desperate prayer as she clasped her hands just beneath the bow of her lips. "Give me the strength to face this trial. Don't.. _please _don't let me be right about him."   
  
And so Cleopatra left the sanctuary of her mothers home, materializing on the front door of the Singer residency just in time to see Dean disappear from the garage while Sam and Bobby trekked back into the house. The Nephilim found the older man lounging on the sofa with a beer in one hand and a book of lore in the other, and smirked when he nearly jumped out of his skin at the sight of her. "Jesus, 'Patra!" Bobby exclaimed, grumbling under his breath as he picked up the bottle. ''That boyfriend of yours would be proud of the nonchalance-"  
  
"I need a favor, Bobby." Cleopatra said. "Castiel very clearly asked me to stay by the boys side until Sam was given back his soul, but my gut has a sneaking suspicion that angel of mine is bold-face lying to me." Bobbys eyebrows knit in intrigue as he leaned forward and pressed his elbows against his knees. "I _know _him, Bobby. I knew something wasn't right when he burned Crowley's bones... and I need to find out the consequence of his choices.''  
  
"What do you need me to do?"  
  
"I need you to be me. Keep an eye on my boys." She murmured. "If they ask, tell them I'm taking a break to visit my mother. They'll be alright for a little while." Cleopatra smiled as the older man bobbed his chin in acknowledgement and stood to his feet, lips quirked upward in a smile as he clasped her shoulder. ''And Sammy... He's a _good _man. One of the best I've ever known. I see the darkness writhing in his soul.. the way it _screams_. The only way he can be himself again is if that thing is forced into him, and I can't be around to see the very essence of him break away piece by piece." 

"So what are you going to do by chasing after Cas?" 

Cleopatra pressed her lips firmly together as she pondered his question. Her mission since that night in the barn had been to protect the Winchester brothers, and to show them that despite how they'd been raised, they too were capable of being unconditionally loved. 

She loved Sam and she loved Dean. They were _family. _

"I'm gonna save Sam."   
  
"Those boys were right about you." Bobby said in reply. "That heart of yours is a wonder."   
  
Cleopatra felt her cheeks warm as the two of them embraced, if only for a moment, before she adjusted the sheath on her thigh and pivoted toward the front door. She took a deep breath and allowed her eyes to flutter downward to the Enochian on the inner part of her forearm, of which spelled Castiels full name. 

"Better get goin' while the goin's good, Cleopatra." 

And so she closed her eyes to focus in on her soulmates location, uttering a silent prayer beneath her breath that her suspicions were simply that. Suspicions. That they wouldn't prove to be true, and that Cas hadn't betrayed her and the Winchesters. If he had, then he was just like everything else in her miserably long life. 

Too good to be true. 

***

[pov shift - _dean _] 

Wear the ring for twenty four hours. Play Death. Take the people whos time-card had been punched, who had met their fateful end and were either destined for a quick ride to paradise or a long, agonizing ride of misery to the basement. He would endure it all if it meant that Sam would be Sam again.

That he would have his soul back again. However, when it came to remembering his trek to Hell, it was a journey he preferred not to look back on. 

It had been the thirteen year old that had shattered his resolve. 

Tessa had brought it all down to a heart problem, and while she was probably right, Dean really didn't have the strength to walk over to that bed and pluck her from her fathers embrace. He had been the dying child, once upon a time. Stuck in a corporeal form outside his real body just to watch his own father sacrifice himself in order for Dean to wake from the coma he'd been in after the car wreck. 

It was the morals his father had instilled upon him that kept Dean from taking the girl. A moral sense of right and wrong -- which choice was the correct to make, and which one would leave dire consequences. She was thirteen, an age where she had barely begun to _live_, let alone exist. 

And so he had blatantly ignored Tessas command, only for the same nurse who was set to be operating on the young girl to be in a fatal car wreck not an hour later. 

"_She's disrupting the natural order by being alive. You of all people should know what that means." _

And he did. Realistically, Dean should've been killed the same day he was in that accident. He was damaged goods, had done nothing to save this world despite his best efforts-- but had only destroyed it further -- and by being alive now, he was only further delaying the inevitable. 

A cruel end by either the barrel of a gun, or the teeth of the monsters he killed. 

But somehow, by some pure stroke of luck, a beautiful raven haired girl bearing the name of a Queen with the brightest gold eyes he'd ever seen came crashing back into his life and taught him that it was one well worth living for. That his father had been wrong, and he in fact was worth more then he had ever believed. 

And a fallen angel who had risked everything and rescued him from the throes of Perdition, leaving not only a mark on his physical being, but one on his soul. 

It was that thought of their impact, how much better they made his life that had Dean in the vehicle of Scott, the husband to the nurse who had died in place of the young girl. All because a surgery had been cancelled, someone else had fallen to the clutches of death, and the very thought that he'd have to reap this soul too made his stomach turn. 

"Stop the car. You're gonna get yourself killed.'' Scott pressed the gas pedal to the floor and downed a portion of the alcohol he had perched in his fingers. "Stop the _car!"_ Panicked by the bright lights illuminating the road in front of them, Dean slipped the ring off and yelled something incoherent to the drivers ears just as they crashed into a parked vehicle on the curb. 

So much for saving Sam. 

Guilt settled heavily in his stomach as he slid the ring back on, which brought Tessas form back into view. She very clearly was not pleased, as he had suspected, by his loss of the bet between himself and Death. "Sorry about your mother." She said softly. Dean knit his eyebrows together and pressed his lips into a thin line. 

No more sorrys. No more reluctance. He was done watching everything fall apart in front of him. Screw Death. _Screw whoever took Sammy's soul. _

"Let's just go." 

"Go where Dean?" Tessa questioned as they reappeared outside the young girls hospital room. "You took off the ring, you're done. You _lost-_" 

"Unfinished business." 

"I thought you were going to let the girl skate by." 

Dean turned to the Reaper with a grim expression. "Think about it. Do any of us ever really _skate _by?" He asked. Tessa remained silent as he parted from her side and stood by the heart monitor, crouching down low enough to whisper in the fathers ear. "You should say your goodbyes man." 

As if on cue, the father snapped awake, rubbing the sleep from his eyes so he could peer at his daughter. Frightened cries for the doctors echoed in the shattered silence as the medical team worked through the compression in order to restart her heart. The father watched on, hand pressed over his mouth as the doctors worked feverishly to save his little girl. 

Dean wondered if this was how John would've been if he'd never made that deal. If he would've mourned his oldest son.. or if he would've forgotten him. Sammy would've lived out the rest of his life bitter toward his father for neglecting the memory of the brother he held so high. 

He had no argument when Tessa took the girl and vanished from his sight. 

***

[ pov - _cleopatra _]

She followed cold trails for days. Kept up weekly phone calls with Bobby, eventually came to find out that Death had fabricated a wall to block out the memories of the Cage in Sams mind, which in turn granted him the sanity he'd so desperately been craving. 

Cleopatra received one voicemail from Dean while driving to Topeka, after setting up a self defense lesson with Zion. She had hopes that the angel could give her the information she needed in order to track Castiel. What Purgatory had to offer, and why he'd be pursuing it. 

** _Hey 'Patra. Bobby said you went back to Kansas to visit your mother and took some time off. Wish you hadn't.. I could really use your calming nature right about now. *nervous laughter* Sammy has his soul back, and he's gonna hate me forever for it.. but he's sane again. He's Sam. That's all that matters. _ **

** _Part of me thinks you've gone looking for Cas. _ **

He knew her better then she gave him credit for. 

** _And while i'm fully supportive of you hunting the baby in a trench coat, I thought you should know what Death said to me about souls. Whatever Cas is doing.. it has something to do with the souls. Be careful. I don't think your soulmate has been very honest with you. _ **

Cleopatra pulled up on the building that Zion worked out of around three o clock on Wednesday, after multiple gas station stops and ventures for her favorite fast food joint. The sun blared down from high overtop the sky scrapers, casting a glow against the darkness of her hair as she peered at the building from the drivers side of her car. 

His figure was barely visible to her. 

As she approached the front door, an assailant lunged out from the alley opposite and nearly knocked her off her feet, sending the Nephilim into a frenzy as she thrashed in the arms of her captor. "Woah there, _Poppet." _The familiar British accent rang in her ears as she willed all her strength to reverse their positions, the tip of her angel blade pressed against his jugular. Aeron Macleod wickedly grinned at her and slowly lifted his hands in surrender. "A little bird told me you're chasing after that boyfriend of yours trying to figure out what Purgatory is." 

The very subject matter caused her to slowly pull away from the Cambion. "What do you know about it, _daemonium?_" She snarled. Aeron exhaled sharply as she released him and dusted the dirt from his freshly pressed suit. 

"Daddy is the King of Hell, sweetheart. I know everything and anything about it. And if you're really, _really _nice to me-" He was slow in the agonizing draw of his finger against her jaw, eyes alight as she set her jaw and lifted her gaze to meet his own. "I might be so inclined to give you what you seek." 

"Why would you help me?" 

"Because one day I'm gonna be the future King of Hell, and baby-" Her eyes widened as he waved his hand and produced a crown so magnificent, she had to graze it with her fingertips to see if it was indeed real. "Heaven is going to need a queen."


	37. Like A Virgin

_"Sammy." _

_The longer Cleopatra knew Sam Winchester, the more she realized that if he was anything, he was truly an spectacle - composed of flesh and bone, eyes that bore the mark of a wildfire, and a sacrificial heart the world would never thank him for. _

_<><><><><><><><><><><><><>_

She wasn't sure if it was rational to include Zion in on Aerons recent influence, and the information he'd disclosed to her about Purgatory and why Castiel was so adamant to find it. He needed the manpower to win the war in Heaven, but what if there was more to it then that?  
  
_"I don't know, Cleopatra." Zion remarked as he gazed at her from beneath his growing blonde fringe, elbows pressed into his knees from where he was positioned in the chair across from her. The room where he held his self defense classes was shockingly vacant for an afternoon in the middle of the week. "While I do believe he has the right intentions in winning the war against Raphael, I think there's more to it that he's not seeing. That he's deliberately not telling you." _  
  
The thought of it gnawed at her stomach even after she left Zion in Topeka, driving the extra half an hour to her mothers house to allow herself the time to think. It was only as she exited the car and leaned against the passengers door, eyes narrowed in on her phone screen, that she decided to call Dean. Maybe talking to the older Winchester would alleviate some of the stress she'd gathered since starting this excursion.   
  
He didn't disappoint.   
  
"There's my favorite lady." He drawled, snickering quietly to himself almost as if he could _hear _the blush that spread across her cheeks. "I'm glad you reached out first. I was getting ready to call you anyway. Cause, y'know, you up and left without an explanation and Bobby still hasn't given me a full answer as to why."   
  
"I'll tell you when you need to know." She replied coolly, tilting her head back to feel the warmth of the autumn sunshine on her skin. From the corner of her eye she could see her mothers form standing on the front porch, dressed in her best autumn attire for their excursion to the pumpkin patch later that afternoon. "So, you wanted to reach out to me? How's Sammy?"  
  
"It's freakin' amazing, Cleopatra. Whatever Death did with putting up that wall..." His voice faltered for a minute as he thought of the best way to explain Sams situation. "He's himself again. Stupidly smart and sassing me every chance he can get, offering to follow me on this case we took from Bobby.. and he keeps asking about you."   
  
"What does he want to know?"   
  
"He doesn't remember much other then what happened in the field in Stull. But he did bring up what Lucifer did to Bobby, to Cas... to you."   
  
<><><><><>  
  
_Dean felt his heart swell when the familiar arms of his brother wound around his neck, sending a wave of relief flooding through him as he returned the favor and pulled Sam into his body. His body language was a stark contrast to his soulless counterpart, which was all the confirmation Dean needed to know it was indeed his baby brother he was holding so tightly.   
  
"Bobby, I saw- I felt Lucifer snap your neck."   
  
"Well, Cas kind of-"   
  
Shock filled the younger Winchesters expression, almost as if it was hard to believe that the Seraph had survived the endeavor of being blasted into subatomic particles by the Devil. "Cas is alive?!" His awed expression immediately morphed into one of horror as an image flashed before his eyes - a girl hunched over in the dead grass, face contorted with pain as her screams filled the air, and his foot collided with her ribs until he was satisfied they were cracked or bruised. She was almost unrecognizable with the blood that stained her skin, but the eyes always gave her away. "Oh God, Cleopatra-"   
  
"She's alive too. She's just not here at the moment.'' Dean clasped his brothers shoulder and turned him away from Bobby. "And she told me to tell you that you are forgiven. Always and completely forgiven." _  
  
<><><><><><><><><><><>  
  
Dean left her with that, claiming he would call her if they needed assistance with their case in Oregon. She left her cellphone in her car and took the day to spend it with Alexandria - a day filled with laughter, crisp fall scents and hot apple cider. By the time they returned back to the cottage house, her cellphone had almost one hundred more photos then it had before they'd left.   
  
She dreamt of Castiel that night, as she had every night since the last time they'd seen each other.   
  
_A large, meticulous room in a run down shack. Night had fallen outside, and the only source of light was the ring of holy fire in the center. Four different figures stood before her, faces hidden from her view, but she could clearly see the face of the one who stood in the holy fire. _  
  
"I did this for you - I'm trying to protect all of you!"   
  
"This isn't protection." That was her, most definitely. "This is manipulation, and worse, it's wrong. I've tried so hard to be loyal to you, angel.. Fought against the part of me that believed you were lying about all of this. I should've- I should've listened to my head instead of my heart." Cleopatra swallowed the growing lump in her throat and wiped at her eyes. "I should've known you were too good to be true." 

Cleopatra shot up almost instantly, breathing heavily as she desperately clawed at her chest to rid herself of the weight that felt as if it would break her sternum. That was the second time she'd had this particular dream - one that she was becoming more sure of that it wasn't a dream. That it was the _future_, and Castiel was destined to betray her.

And so she bowed her head in fervent prayer, hands clasped together as if her own life depended on it. 

Who knows. Maybe it did. 

"_Please Father,_" Cleopatra begged, nearly oblivious to the tears that had fallen down her face. "I've already lost so much... I cannot bear to lose him too. Please.. Please don't take him away from me." Josiah had taught her how to keep her unwavering faith in a Heavenly father who cared enough to create her, give her a soulmate, _and _allow her to live.. but the longer she sat in silence, the more difficult it was to believe that her prayer would be answered. 

<><><><><><><><><><>

Sam wasn't even remotely surprised when he found himself praying to Castiel. Dean claimed that Cleopatra was on leave with her mother, taking some much needed time off, and no matter how badly he wanted to speak to her he felt as if Castiel would be much more open in his responses. 

''Castiel, I'm back." He spoke to the open air. "So if you've got a moment." 

The Seraph appeared not a second later, utter awe seeping into his expression at the sight of the younger Winchester, who he had been sure would never stand upright again. "Sam," He replied. "It's so good to see you alive. Cleopatra will be pleased." 

"Yeah." Sam breathed. He immediately moved to sit down as the angel opened his arms, vessel poised in such a way to hug the other man, immediately feeling awkward as his affection was rejected. "You too." He furrowed his brow as Cas' arms sunk back to his sides. "Look, I would hug you-" 

"It would be awkward." 

"So, this was a crazy year, huh? I talked to Bobby, was hoping that Cleopatra would have some answers too... but she wouldn't answer my phone call." The lie rolled easily off his tongue, and for a moment, Sam was relieved that the angel was too naive to see right through him. "Any idea where she is and why she won't talk to me? Kind of makes me feel..." Bitter laughter broke past his lips as Castiels brow furrowed at his remark. "Unimportant." 

"I believe it's quite the contrary." The Seraph replied. But he made no effort to answer Sams question about Cleopatra, which to Sam, was a tell tale sign that he had made no contact with the Nephilim since going back to Heaven to deal with the anarchy that had arisen since Michael had been cast into Hell with Lucifer. "Frankly, I am surprised that you survived. I was begging Dean not to do it." 

_Do what? _

"Yeah, no. I can understand that." 

"You know it's a miracle that it didn't kill you." 

"Yeah, it's a miracle all right."

Castiel slowly tilted his head (reminder, this is Cleopatras favorite thing he does) and narrowed his eyes as he constructed his next question. "So," He remarked. "How does it feel?" 

Sam was baffled. He'd asked every question he could think of to trick Castiel into informing him of what exactly had gone on in the year he didn't remember. He had immediately denied Deans supposed truth about being in the Cage for a year and a half. Why would he not- What had caused him to _forget _such an extended period of time? 

He swallowed anxiously and lifted his eyes to meet the angels. "How does what feel?"

_Wait for it... _

"Well, to have your soul back of course." 

_Bang._

<><><><><><><><><><><>

She heard his anger before she saw it. Deans prayers infiltrated her mind at the most inconvenient time, drawing her away from what she'd been focusing on in the lore her mother had given her about Purgatory. There were more expletives then actual coherent words, and after about thirty seconds, she finally realized _why _the older Winchester was so cross. 

Somebody had informed Sam about the loss of his soul. 

"I'm gonna kill that idiotic Seraphim." Cleopatra muttered. She snapped the book shut and reached for her notes, tucking them both under her arm as she... what, _transported _herself to Bobby's garage. The moment her eyes opened, the breath dissipated from her lungs as she caught sight of Sam Winchester standing before her. "_Sammy-"_

The longer Cleopatra knew Sam Winchester, the more she realized that if he was anything, he was truly an spectacle - composed of flesh and bone, eyes that bore the mark of a wildfire, and a sacrificial heart the world would never thank him for.

"Hey 'Patra." Sam murmured. It took a moment, but Dean couldn't help but snort when both his younger brother and his best friend broke out into huge grins and surged forward toward one another in preparation of the biggest hug Sam could give. Cleopatras laughter echoed in the silence of the junkyard as Sam hoisted her upward, legs outstretched as they clumsily spun around. "Good to see ya." 

"I've never been so happy to see you in all my years." As soon as he set her back on the ground, Cleopatra took his face in her hands and gently ran her thumbs over the crest of his cheekbone, allowing one moment to gaze into the bright hazel irises staring back at her before she placed a kiss on the crown of his head. "I have news for you, _both _of you-" 

"Good, cause Sam and I were just having a lovely chat that you so rudely interrupted." Dean snapped. Cleopatra flicked her wrist out of annoyance and sent a random piece of debris flying from across the yard, just in time for it to smack Dean in the head. "Woman, I _swear-" _

"Someone has their panties in a twist." The Nephilim set her leather bound journal and lore on the bench between herself and the younger Winchester as she took a seat beside his older brother. "Mind telling me what's going on? I heard your prayer.. I'm pretty sure most prayers aren't spoken with more expletives then coherent words." 

"Your _boyfriend _decided to tell Sam about the time he was soulless, which Death was extremely clear about that it was _not _supposed to be told!" Dean snapped. "We have absolutely no idea what it could do to the wall he put up! There's a reason you weren't meant to know the things you don't currently remember!" 

"That's not the point, Dean." Sam interjected calmly. "The point is that I should've known what I did to Bobby, to Cas, to you, and to _her." _He jabbed a thumb at the woman across from him, whos expression softened at the guilt she so clearly saw veiled in Sams expression. "I have to set things right. Or what I can anyway." 

"Sam-" Cleopatra replied quietly as she rested her hand on top of his own. Nervous green eyes shifted over to meet the soft blue-greens that stared back at him. "Listen to me carefully whenever I say this. That wasn't _you." _

_"_Every single fiber of my being wants to believe you, Patra." He said, reciprocating her motion by lacing their overlapped fingers together. Warmth spread throughout Cleopatras chest as she lifted her gaze to watch Sam as he spoke. "But I feel like I just got served the worst mickey in the world and woke up to find out I burned down town in the process. And while you can both say it wasn't me, I'm the one with the zippo in my pocket. I'm not so sure it's that cut and dry. Thank you for protecting me, really, but I gotta fix what I gotta fix. I can only do that if you tell me." 

"You don't know how dangerous that could be-'' 

"What would you do?" As expected, Deans answer fell short when he found that he, indeed, did internally agree with Sam. "Right. The exact same thing." Cleopatra poised her lips to speak but was halted by Bobby, who had emerged from the house in the midst of their conversation. Her focus shifted back to the lore that rested at her right side and the notes she'd taken on Purgatory since Aeron and Zion had disclosed the information she needed to know. 

"Boys," Bobby said in greeting. "I think there's something you ought to see." 

She snatched a beer from the refrigerator just as Bobby began to pour over the open book before himself, Sam and Dean. "Okay, so I did translate part of this. Basically describes this place that's like the backside of your own worst nightmares. It's all blood and bone and darkness." Popping the cap, Cleopatra strode back into the living room and crouched down at Bobbys side, opening her notes and the book of Purgatory lore at the same time. "Holy crap - Someone has been busy." 

"This _place _you three are just now learnin' about is called Purgatory. It's basically the go-between for Heaven and Hell, and what I've been doing in my time of leave." She replied. "It also happens to be the resting place of most monsters you've ever killed. And it's exactly what Castiel needs to fuel his side of the war effort in Heaven." 

And while Team Free Will grew in their knowledge of Purgatory, some miles away two dragons drew an innocent brunette girl from the back of a van, uttering an incantation as they threw her into the ravine below. Petrified screams shattered the night as she fell, further and further, into the glowing orange pool at the bottom. By the time she was low enough to see it properly was when she realized it began to swirl. _A portal. _

"It gets worse." 

"Please, do enlighten us all." Bobby interjected firmly. "Cause while I've learned enough past couple hours I've been sittin' here, you clearly have been digging deep enough to find out what that boyfriend of yours has been up to." 

"That instruction manual you told me about? It's not detailed description of how to take a vacation over there. It's about how to break something _out. _Opening that door with the potential of bringing it _here." _Both brothers shifted their gaze to the Nephilim, whos expression had gone dark and pensive. Almost as if she knew the kind of horrors that lurked at the gates, eager to feast on this new, unexplored world. "I'm not quite sure what it is yet, but Bobby and I will collaborate with my mother and work on it." 

"I do have a name that you don't have." Bobby replied as he took the pen from his book and scrawled it across the margin of her journal. "Mother?" 

"_Mother?" _

Cleopatra inhaled sharply as the blood pumping through her body suddenly turned to ice in her veins and the color visibly drained from her face. "Mother." She whispered, eyes wide with horror as she whipped around to face the bookcase. "_Father_, help us all. You have a Bible in this house, Singer? I need-" Dean jumped as multiple books were thrown from their place and thudded loudly against the wooden floors as she dropped them. "I need a Bible!" 

"Mother of what, exactly? Mother of dragons?" Sam questioned. Cleopatra beamed as she caught sight of the _King James Version _Bible that Bobby had tucked away in the back of the bookcase, snatching it from his spot and rifling through the first few pages for the section of the story she intended to find. 

"No Sam," She replied, slamming the pad of her thumb into text. "Mother of All. Adam and Eve were the first two human beings that God created to be put on this Earth. And if Adam was the _Father,_" Her eyes slowly shifted over to Dean, who visibly swallowed at the sight of fear, a first for him, in her expression. Very rarely did they see Cleopatra truly afraid. "_Eve _was the Mother." 

Both dragons watched on in awe as the same girl emerged from the pit below, her dress singed and eyes alight as she floated toward them to place her feet on firmer ground. "You kept me waiting." She remarked sharply. The men before her immediately noticed the difference between the girl they had thrown in and the one before them - this creature had no emotion in her eyes, no expression to her face. She was simply cold and vacant, a true terror to behold. "We have so much to do. _Let's get started." _


	39. The French Mistake

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cleopatra, Dean and Sam are transported into the real world.   
Now they're Katie Mcgrath, Jensen Ackles, and Jared Padalecki. 
> 
> Misha Collins also makes an appearance.

They found themselves in the exact same position three days later, pouring over lore about Purgatory and Eve as the storm echoed against the rotted walls of the house in Sioux Falls. Cleopatra nearly jumped out of her skin as a loud clap of thunder shook the house, causing her to tumble into Dean in the process. "You alright there, Sunshine?" He questioned, raising an eyebrow as she swiped at her eyes with the back of her hands. "Look tired." 

"I am tired." She replied as she actually patted his knee. "Might go pass out on the couch for a little while." Dean snickered as the Nephilim handed him the book she'd been reading and crawled on all fours over to the sofa. She was unconscious by the time her head hit the pillow. 

Sam entered the room a moment later with his arms full of books, frowning as he sat them down to adjust Cleopatras position on the sofa. "Well, that didn't take long." He quipped, pulling his bottom lip between his teeth as he rested her head against the pillow he'd used to support her neck, and then proceeded to slip his favorite blanket over top of her. "Where's Bobby?" 

Dean cursed as he finished the last of the liquor, shaking the bottle to release the excess liquid. "Went into town on a supply run. The man's a hero. We are officially out of hunters helper." 

Before either one of them could continue in conversation, the familiar flutter of angel wings filled their ears as Balthazar appeared in the doorway. "Hello gentleman, and my favorite leading lady." He greeted, bending down by the sofa to press the gentlest of kisses against the Nephilims brow. "Poor thing. You two have practically worked her to the bone." 

"_Balthazar-" _

"You've seen the Godfather right? When Michael Corleone sends him men to kill his enemies in one bloody swoop." He interjected, nodding enthusiastically as he poured a powder labeled _Dead Sea Brine _into the bowl he'd set on the desk. "Then Moe Greene gets hit in the eye. Don Cuneo gets it in the revolving door. _Now_ \- Blood of Lamb. Blood of Lamb.. Oh bloody He-" The angel materialized by the sofa and pressed two fingers to Cleopatras temple, rejuvenating her energy and thus drawing her from her slumber. 

"B-Balthazar?" She mumbled confusingly, peering around the room until she found the angel rummaging through the refrigerator. "It's not nice to wake a girl from her beauty sleep, you know." He snorted loudly and turned to glance at her over his shoulder, gaze softening as she met his own. Cleopatra did tend to have that effect on people. 

"I need someone intelligent to help me see through the effects of this spell." He called out. "And as to why I'm talking about the Godfather - It's because we're _in it, _tonight. And in the role of Michael Corleone, the Archangel Raphael." Dean extended his hand and hoisted Cleopatra to her feet, wrapping his arm around her waist as she fought to fully wake. "No, no no _no-_" 

"Mind telling us what you mean?" Dean stated firmly. Cleopatra smirked and rested her head against his shoulder as the three of them watched the angel rifle through the contents of Bobby's desk in search of the ingredients he needed for the spell. 

"_Yes." _Balthazar exclaimed proudly as he held up the contents of the ziploc bag - a vertebrae of a lesser saint. "The vertebrae of a lesser saint. Your Mr. Singer does keep a beautiful pantry. Back to the topic on point-" He crushed the bone between his hands and watched as the dust sifted through the contents in the bowl beneath him. "Raphael has consolidated his strength, and he is on the move." 

"Where's my boyfriend?" Cleopatra questioned. "Why haven't I heard from him?" 

"Because your beloved _Cassie _is very deep underground." Balthazar replied. "So good old Raphie put out a hitlist on every Samaritan who helped our dear Cass. Including his soulmate, and his two pet monkeys." Cleopatra blinked repetitively and unwound herself from Deans grasp as she moved to kneel at his side, fingertips curled against her temples as her eyelids gently fluttered shut. 

_Castiel, I don't know if you can hear me, but I miss you angel. Balthazar said you're in hiding, and now I'm even more worried about you then I was before. Please. Send me a sign that you're safe._

Just as Balthazar finished the sigil on the window, a streak of lightning flashed against the house, illuminating the Enochian tattoo of Castiels name on the inside of her wrist. The emblem burned brightly, almost as if it were a brand, and Cleopatra swore she saw the words _Safe _illuminated against the ceiling as she, Sam and Dean were thrown from the window..

And landed straight onto a dual pair of blue mats. 

"What-the-_Crap-" _She wheezed, bringing herself to all fours as she struggled to regain the breath she'd lost on impact. Sam wrapped his hands around her waist and slowly hoisted her upward. "Wait. Do I-" Dean slammed his hand against his mouth as the clear, articulate sounds of an accent flowed past her lips. "Gods, you could not look any stupider right now. What're you starin' at me like that for?" 

"You-" He deadpanned, clearly too stunned to speak coherently. "You have an _accent! _Where on Earth did that come from?!" 

"I'll have to get back to that later," She interjected sharply. "It looks like we have company." 

Before the three could react, they were simultaneously swarmed by different crew members and ushered forward by who she assumed was the director. He was a stout man in his late sixties, with graying hair and a round face that seemed to make his eyes larger. "Jared, Jensen, Katie!" Three heads snapped in his direction as he exclaimed, "That was just great!" 

Then one of the crew members stood behind them with an object she didn't know the name of and poised himself in front of the set they'd just destroyed. 

"_Supernatural, Scene One, "Echo." Take one, tail slate. Marker." _

Katie/Cleopatra stood to her feet and dusted the glass from her jeans, adjusting her position in her combat boots as her eyes flickered around the room to scan her surroundings. "Well guys, I'm not sure what Balthazar just did... But we're not in Sioux Falls anymore." She noted. "This is a TV set." 

"Thanks Captain Obvious." Sam retorted as he lightly nudged her with his hip. "So if that's _true,_ no angels? No demons, and no _Nephilim." _His head snapped over to her. "Do that thing with your eyes, 'Patra. Let's see if we're right." 

Inhaling deeply, Cleopatra gently rested her free hand over the Enochian tattoo on her arm while focusing on the mental image of Castiel she always kept tucked away in the back of her mind. Upon remembering that the angel she loved was deep in hiding, the picture wavered and she was greeted with the same darkness she'd seen in her dreams only days before. Blue eyes became nearly obsidian, and the thought caused her eyes to snap back open. 

"A-Anything?" She murmured timidly. Both boys crouched down to meet her level and shook their head. "Bummer. I'll have to try again later. It'll really freak the locals out." 

"_That's a wrap on Katie, Jared and Jensen!" _Cleopatra shrieked as a male she had not seen before whisked her away from Sam and Dean, who too were both too baffled to respond as they were pulled in different directions for makeup refresh and a short interview. The male with his hand around her wrist led her to a door labeled _Misha and Katie; _Two dressing rooms that were directly beside one another. "Katie, my darling, you've got an interview and a short break before your next scene with Misha. He wanted to see you before hand." 

Katie/Cleopatra swallowed thickly as the unknown male threw open the door. "And, y'know.... This might seem like the dumbest question ever, but who exactly _is _Misha?" She asked. She froze at a sudden crashing in her dressing room, and the breath in her lungs dissipated when she caught sight of the culprit. "Oh. _That's _Misha." 

Why there was a bag of flour in a dressing room, she had no idea. But the very sight before her was truly one to behold. Misha -- or rather, Castiels _actor -- _stood before her, his body dusted from head to toe in a white flour so thick that she almost couldn't see his skin. The sight of him was enough to coax a smile onto her lips, eyes brightening as she moved forward to embrace him. 

"There's my favorite Irish girl." He greeted. Laughter echoed against the walls as she jumped into his embrace, nearly catching him off guard in the process, and wrapped her legs around his waist as he caught her. "Woah there angel, I just saw you like an hour ago. What's got you so riled up?" 

_I haven't seen the angel I love in ages. You look like him, you practically are him - _

"Can't your favorite girl miss her favorite guy?" She chided, grinning widely when he tilted his chin downward to meet her gaze and tapped her nose with the end of his finger. "Stranger dude said you wanted to see me before my interview?"

"_Duh. _Your upcoming interview is with _me_, genius!" He threw the spare clothes she kept on her side of the room. "You have five minutes to get changed into that and then meet me outside. We're gonna go gush about our favorite onscreen relationship until after lunch, which is when you and I have our next scene." 

"What about Jared and Jensen?" She called out from behind the divider, completely baffled at how quickly she was shedding her flour covered clothes for the leather jacket and _Random Acts _teeshirt that had been stored in her closet. "When do we see them again?"

Misha guffawed from where he stood in front of the mirror, fingers typing away at his newest tweet on his Blackberry. "Peep over your divider, Kate." He called. Cleopatra/Katie grinned widely as she stood on her tiptoes, peering over the divider just enough for the camera to see her eyes. She didn't have enough height to see what he was tweeting.

**MishaCollins: On set with my best girl costar xx what a treat to work with someone so _delicious_. **

"Also, I'm extremely offended that you'd even ask me that." 

The laughter she heard that day from her very own lips was a sound she had not recognized for quite some time, and even as they both sat in front of the interviewer to talk about _Casopatra _and their off screen relationship, Cleopatra could not help the radiant smile that would not seem to leave her face. It was the most genuine form of happiness she had felt in _months._

<><><><><><><><><><><><>

"I wanna go home," Jensen whined as he and Sam/Jared curved through the crew who were buzzing around the set, both pairs of eyes peeled for any sight of their best friend who they had not seen since earlier that morning. "I feel like this whole place is bad touching me. Don't know where my Nephilim-" 

"_Our _Nephilim is." Jared/Sam replied. "And as for bad touching, me too. What do you think? Should we try Cas?" The two of them stood across from one another and nodded in acknowledgement. 

"It's our best shot, if he's still alive." Dean said. The elder Winchester bowed his head and clasped his hands together as he began to pray. "Dear Castiel, who art maybe running his a** away from Heaven.. We pray that you have your ears on." He paused. "Breaker, breaker." 

It was the sound of laughter that caught their attention. Both heads snapped towards the street where Jensen and Jared very clearly saw Katie/Cleopatra at the side of a man who they could've only assumed was Castiel. Based off the joy that radiated from their guardian angel, Dean wasn't sure who else it would be. 

"_Cas! _Oh- Thank God." Dean praised. Cleopatras head snapped up at the familiar baritone, arm still wound through Mishas as they came to a stop in front of the brothers. "What is this, huh? What did Balthazar do to us?" Misha pursed his lips and cleared his throat, preparing to reply in the deeper voice that mirrored her angel almost _perfectly, _which only made her drool a little bit more. 

"To keep you out of Virgils reach, he's cast the three of you into an alternate reality, a universe similar to ours in most respects but dramatically different in others. There's no time to explain-" He held his hand outward. "Do you have the key?" 

Sam rifled through his pockets before producing a pair of gold keys. "Yeah! What does it open?" 

"A door." 

Deans expression fell flat at the blunt response. "And what's _behind _that door?" 

"All of the weapons that Balthazar stole from Heaven." 

Cleopatra furrowed her brow as confusion settled in. She understood Balthazar to a certain point in regards to picking the people he trusted, but did he really trust the Winchester brothers enough to keep such an item safe? Or did he trust _her _because she was betrothed to his best friend?

"And he gave it to us?" 

"To keep ahold of it until I could reach Cleopatra." Misha/Castiel replied. "With those weapons I am able to rally my forces against Raphael."

"Okay, good. _Good." _Jared/Sam said. "Now, here's the real question. What's the deal with all this TV crap? And why are you two so... touchy?!" He gesticulated wildly to their linked arms and intertwined fingers - a gesture she often did with Castiel that she began not to notice when she did it with other people.

Misha frowned. "Pardon?"

"Amen, Padaleski." 

Jared harrumphed and crossed his arms over his chest out of annoyance towards his brother/costar. "It's _Padalecki._" He corrected. "Lecki. Pretty sure. I'd say 99.8 percent or something like that." Cleopatra snorted indignantly and pried herself away from Misha just as he moved to loosen his tie. 

"I'd say you're both 99.8 percent morons." She retorted, stepping forward to punch them both in the shoulder. Cleopatra smiled sweetly and glanced over her shoulder at Misha, who was thumbing through the pages of his script that he kept tucked away in the pocket of his coat. "Hey Misha-"

"Misha? What's a _Misha?" _

Cleopatra gripped Deans shirt just hard enough that he was able to feel the bite of her fingernails against his skin. "Misha, can you give the boys and I a moment?" She asked sweetly, batting her eyelashes for an intended effect. Just as she expected, her costar nodded eagerly and peeled off in the opposite direction, claiming he'd call her when it was time for their scene. "What is _wrong _with you two?!" 

"I thought you and Fake Cas were having a moment." Dean retorted, gasping as she pulled him down to her level, wildfire alight in her eyes. She clearly wasn't in the mood for banter. "Okay, I'll settle with ten percent of a moment-" 

"_Misha _and I just finished an interview about Casopatra, Supernatural hottest couple." She informed them. "This is all the real world, fellas. No angels or demons, no heaven and hell, no hunting. There's no need to kill when you have nothing to hunt. I'm about to go on my lunch break before I get called back on. In the mean time... I think the two of you should figure this one out on your own." 

"What're you going to do?!" Jensen/Dean exclaimed, eyes narrowing as she bound back up the road in the direction of a beaming Misha. 

"I'm gonna go have ten percent of a moment!" She called back, cupping her hands around her mouth to amplify the sound. "With my favorite costar, might I add." Misha grinned widely and wrapped his arms around her waist, eliciting a _giggle _from her lips (a sound Cleopatra swore she'd never make) as he nuzzled his nose against the base of her neck. ''Hello handsome." 

"Hiya gorgeous." He replied softly. "If you don't mind, I'd like to have that ten percent of a moment eating our lunch in my trailer. Care to join me?" 

How is one supposed to say no?

_ Meanwhile, inside of Jensens Trailer _

"Okay, so now we know who you are." Sam said. "Do we dare look up who this _Katie _woman is that is supposedly our costar?" Dean shrugged his shoulders and gave a simple nod, clasping his brothers shoulders as they peered at the computer screen together. Multiple photos of a beautiful raven haired woman with heterochromia and a slim figure appeared, showcasing a woman who seemed to be all the gossip given that she was Irish and on an American TV show. "Katie Mcgrath, age 29, born in Ashford, which is in the Republic of Ireland. One of her hit roles was in the show _Merlin, _and apparently when she got casted as Castiels love interest, there was an uproar on the Internet." 

"That'd be because she's super hot." Dean deadpanned. "And talented. Smart, funny, sweet... All the characteristics of a phenomenal woman." He motioned for Sam to scroll down. "Close friends with the two of us since being cast in Season 4... There's not much to go on here."

"How are we supposed to get out of here? Cleopatra can't take us home, and wherever we are... I think we're out of range for our prayers to reach Cas." Sam said. "Or rather, the real Cas. Did you like the way that Cleo was hanging all over.. what's his name. Misha?" 

Sam smirked when Dean ignored his question and snatched the pad of paper that was sitting in front of the TV. "Even if we are out of range, I think we can reverse Balthazars spell. I watched every move." He haphazardly drew the sigil and lifted it to show Sam. "There's no place like home." 

***

Misha caught sight of her just as she went to leave set, duffel bag slung over her arm and phone poised in her hands as she went to hail a cab. "Hi, yes.. I'd like to rent a hotel room for three nights. Charge to Mcgrath - 4023 6948 2301 5104. I'll be there shortly. Thank you!" 

"Hey," Katie gasped and whipped around, nearly punching Misha directly in the face from shock. "Woah there sunshine, there's no need to damage the goods." Her expression of shock contorted to restrained laughter as he released her. "Where are you going?" 

"Uh, I don't have a house in the States." She'd spent half an hour searching through her pictures to confirm it. "Jared has been letting me stay at his place with his wife for a while, but he and Jensen took off before I could get to him. Figured I'd stay in the hotel down the street for a few days before I gather my bearings."

"You want me to go with you? We have to be back on set in the morning." Katie stepped forward and rested her hand against his cheek, brushing the gentlest of kisses against his brow before she stepped back in the direction of her cab. Misha blinked repetitively, almost as if to wake himself from a dream, before lifting his eyes to meet her own. 

She looked... sad. 

"I'll see you tomorrow, Misha." 

He simply watched the sway of her hips as Katie turned her back to him, softly greeting the cabbie as she slid her luggage into the seat before shutting the door behind her. The engine rumbled to life, headlights glaring into the darkness as he watched the vehicle back into the road and pull away. 

By the time she arrived in her hotel room, Cleopatra took a moment to scroll through the messages Dean had sent her about his excursion with Sam into Jared Padaleckis home, meeting his wife (who he liked to call _Fake Ruby_) and purchasing the items they needed to recreate the spell that would send them home. 

"I'm waiting for you, Cas." She whispered into the dark, fingertips gently tracing the tattoo on her forearm. "I'm waiting to come home, Angel." 

***

The perplexed look on Mishas face was one that would surely be locked away in her memories forever. 

After a hot shower and two fresh cups of coffee the following morning, Katie Mcgrath sat beside her costar, who couldn't seem to break his baffled expression at Jareds remark about what was in the Priority box that occupied Jensens chair. "I bought part of a dead person." Jared uttered. Misha tilted his head to cast an incredulous look at the woman who sat beside him, who had been forced to press her hands against her mouth to refrain from laughing too obnoxiously. 

"Oh. Cool." He replied. 

Jensen reemerged a moment later. "Okay, bad news." He said, directing his comment at Jared and Katie. "Looks like we're going to have to do a little acting." 

Jareds face fell flat almost immediately. 

"_What?" _

Katie stood from her chair and dusted off the leather jacket, a signature part of her costume, before stepping forward and sympathetically squeezing Jareds shoulders. "Oh, don't you _worry _boys." She cooed. "I bet you're going to be fantastic actors." 

Turned out that they were the complete opposite. They were _horrible. _And after nearly thirty six takes, it was getting harder and harder not to harass them for their poor facial expressions and ridiculous body language as they tried to become their characters. 

"Look," She exclaimed, moving away from where she had been leaning against the fireplace. "I am literally in this scene just to be the moral voice of reason. I'm not even _speaking _yet, and I can do ten times better then your pathetic attempt at being an actor." A chorus of _ooooooooo _echoed around the set as the crew burst into laughter at her snide remark.

"_Action!" _

"_Cut!"_

_"Action!" _

_"CUT!" _

Misha side-eyed Katie as she moved to stand beside him, propping a elbow against his arm as she leaned into him. "I'm slowly losing brain cells here boys." She moaned. "Can we _please-" _

_"_Do we really need all of these lines?!" Jensen exclaimed, which completely caught the director and producers off guard. He whipped around towards the window where the four of them sat beside one another, intently watching Jensen and Jared on camera. "I think we covered the basis!" 

"_CUT!" _

Jensen and Jared fled the set almost instantly, and before Katie could argue, she realized that Jensen was dragging her back to the four seats they'd been occupying earlier that day. He practically shoved her into her seat and then sat in his before she leaned forward and flicked the back of his ear. 

"_Katie-" _He growled, breath catching in his throat when he felt her lips just inches away from his ear. Katie grinned wickedly and leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms behind her head with a victorious glint to her eyes. "Gun. Mouth. Now." 

"What on _Earth _did these two do last night?" Misha whispered in her ear. "I think it's Black Market Organs in that box, by the way. No other reason to have a literal part of a dead person-'' She pressed a single digit to his lips as someone yelled, "_Moving on!" _which prompted Jensen and Jared to flee once again. "Nah. It's drugs. Definitely drugs." 

"I'll go check them out. Make sure they don't do anything stupid. And you," She stood her feet and slowly allowed her gaze to drink in the sight of him -- one she could drown in -- before stepping back to follow in their path. "Can sit there and keep looking sexy all day. A girl could never get tired of that sight." 

Oblivious to the profuse blush spreading across his face, Katie moved in pursuit of the men. By the time she found the two Winchester brothers, they'd broken through the rebuilt window after a failed attempt of redrawing the sigil Balthazar had used to bring them into this world. Katie meekly waved at the stunt coordinator and Bob Singer as she peered at the two men groaning from the floor. 

"Katie, would you mind?" 

"Sure thing, Mr. Singer." She replied. "Sorry about the mess. You sure know how much trouble these boys can be." Bending low enough to reach them, the petite Irish woman firmly gripped both of their ears and dragged the two of them towards Jensen's trailer, disregarding their whines of protest as she did so. 

Bob exhaled a sigh of relief as they disappeared from sight. "That girl is sure a godsend."

<><><><><><><>

[** i know this is long, but we're coming to my favorite part soon enough!** ] 

_An unsent text message glares into the dark. He had intended to tell her about their call time tomorrow for the next Casopatra scene, but the blade against his neck sent his mind into overdrive and thus forced him to discard his phone. _

Something told her to follow Misha the following night. So she stole a car from one of the crew members (with intentions of returning it) and followed his vehicle to right outside an alley in the city. Katie locked the vehicle and tucked the key into her flannel, fingers wrapped around her angel blade as she crept into the shadows of the alley. 

Her blade was soon cast aside.

The sight in front of her was enough to slow her entire world down. 

The same angel Balthazar had been fighting when he'd cast them here stood before her with the tip of his blade pressed against Mishas neck. Sound became merely white noise - her eyes only able to focus on the utter terror that radiated from him, and in that sole moment as Katie sprinted forward, she wasn't Katie Mcgrath anymore. 

She was Cleopatra Carter, and he was Castiel. The angel she loved. 

The word _Raphael _echoed in her ears as she lunged forward to shield Mishas body with her own, legs kicking outward and causing Virgil to stumble just as the blade came in contact with the soft flesh of her stomach. A piercing scream echoed as the angel cursed when she sank to her knees, eyes widened by shock as the pain finally registered in her abdomen. Cleopatra felt her head swim as she lifted her hands to the sky and found them glistening crimson.

"Just remembered," She murmured weakly, lips quirked upward in a feigned smile as Misha struggled to compose himself. " 'M not an angel in this world." He collapsed to his knees in a hurry, desperate to catch her as she fell backward and straight into his embrace. Dark hair cascaded over his shoulder as Misha frantically removed his jacket to staunch the profuse bleeding from her stab wound. 

"You're gonna be okay." The gentlest whispers echoed in the silence as he used his opposite hand to fish for her cellphone tucked into the pocket of her jeans with the intention of calling 911. "C'mon Kate, you _have _to be okay. I can't - I need my best girl. _Please-" _

His pleads were muffled by the screeching sounds of sirens. 

_ Meanwhile, in the Padalecki House _

"Oh my- Oh _my-" _Jensen and Jared whipped around to face Genevieve, who was standing in the doorway with trails of mascara descending down her dampened cheeks. "It's-It's Katie!" 

Jensen swore he felt his heart stop in his chest as he moved to surge forward before he was stopped by Jareds firm grip on his shoulder. "What about her?" He demanded. "What's going on?" 

"She-She was stabbed saving Misha!"

A trip that should've taken half an hour took ten minutes, and Jared found it hard to keep up with Jensen as he rushed through the crime scene in search of their best friend. "Katie!" He yelled. Further down the alley sat a opened ambulance, where one of the paramedics was just finishing tending to the victim who sat in the back of it. "_Katie-" _

Cleopatra slowly lifted her head from where she sat in the ambulance, Mishas spare (yes, he has multiple of them) trenchcoat tucked around her shoulders. She forced a smile as Dean and Sam rushed to meet her. "Guess all it takes to catch your attention is to save the man I love from being stabbed." She mused, wincing as pain rolled through her side. "In a heroic effort to save the love of my life, it just now occurred to me that I'm not a half breed in this world." She lifted her shirt to show them the gauze wrapped around her abdomen. "Lost quite a bit of blood and passed out for a while, but I was in good hands." 

Jensen stepped even closer to her and curved his fingers around her jaw, emerald eyes narrowing as he searched her face and arms for any other signs of injury. She never once tore her eyes away from him, her expression calm at the warmth that radiated from his touch. "You're good." He whispered, hands gliding over her shoulders as he gently hoisted her upward and into a hug, burying his face in her hair. "Safe. M'girl is _safe." _

They eventually find out about the details behind the attempted stabbing from a homeless man who saw the entire act occur. _Brave, _he called the girl. The girl with no name she'd spoken of.

Dean scooped up the discarded angel blade and intently listened to the details provided by the other man. If they were to return to their own world, he'd have to drag Cleopatra away from Misha, get back to the place of the crossing at the exact time, and keep Virgil from giving the key over to Raphael so Castiel could continue living.

However, Sam still thinks about that moment. Because after being in this life for so long, losing everything that matters to you by either the teeth of the very monsters you hunt or the bullet from a gun, it's enough to shatter your very world when the complete opposite happens - and that person you've come to love, to deeply cherish, survives the incursion that should've killed him or her. He's never seen Dean look more relieved then that night in the alternate universe, buried in the embrace of his wounded best friend. 

A memory he will cherish forever. 

<><><><><><><><>

"Misha, I _told _you- You need to stop thanking me. I have a stunt double, there's no stunts for me to do, and the only scene I'm in tonight is the one of you and I on top of one of the cars later on. I'm _fine." _

It'd been twenty four hours since the incident in the alleyway, six since she was released from the hospital, and one since MIsha had been pestering her with apologies about how sorry he was she was injured, and that he'd do anything to take away her pain. But with little time left to be with him, an aggravated wound and no sleep, Cleopatra was growing irritated. 

"Singer said they're bringing Kripke on to talk to Jensen and Jared." He announced as he fell in step with her. "Think that'll be enough to get through to them?" 

The sound of gunfire stopped both of them in their tracks. Cleopatra closed her eyes and listened to the frequency of the sound -- pump action tactical shotgun -- which Virgil had most likely procured from one of the stores in town. She whipped around and pecked Misha on the cheek, whispering a "_Thank you_." before she took off toward the source of the gunfire. 

What she stumbled upon was Dean and Sam beating Virgil unconscious and snatching the keys from his belt loop, giving her just enough time to lunge through the broken window and directly on top of Dean, who collided with wet pavement. A groan of pain broke past her lips as she rolled off the older brother and stared up into the eyes of Raphael. 

The other world - They were in the _other world. _

Gold eyes snapped open as Cleopatra flicked her wrist, throwing the Archangel backward as she slowly stood to her feet, hand still pressed over her wound. "You forgot something, _Raphie-" _Cleopatra snarled, waving her fingers as gold light emitted from her palm and closed the wound inflicted upon her. "I'm an angel in this world." 

Just as her angel blade left its sheath, a pale hand appeared out of the darkness and stopped her from inciting any further damage. Confused eyes flickered up to Balthazar, who merely smiled as he uncurled her fingers and the blade clattered against the ground. "A pretty powerful angel at that." He remarked. "You don't want to provoke her, Raphie. And those?" He gestured to the keys. "Open a bus station locker in Albany. I needed a decoy to make it more convincing." 

"Give me the weapons, Balthazar." 

"Sorry darling. They're gone." He said. "I said _too bloody late. _You see, they were so well hidden that I needed time to find them. So I volunteered these two marmosets and Cas' lovely lady for a game of fetch with Virgil. It makes the reunion much more romantic." 

Dean snorted as a profuse blush spread across the Nephilims face. 

"You've made your last mistake." 

Balthazars expression turned smug as he crossed his hands over his abdomen. "I've got a few more up my sleeve, _honey." _

The familiar fluttering of angel wings and the gentle whisper of "_Hello Flower." _sent her heart into a tizzy as Castiel made his entrance, hands wrapped around her waist as he pressed the gentlest of kisses to the back of her head. "Step away from him Raphael." He demanded. "I have the weapons now. Their power is with me." 

_Every day he grows stronger. _

Her breath caught in her throat as he unfurled his wings, a symbol of authority and sheer power, and the very shape of them flickered against the wall. The other two angels were the only ones able to see the real form beneath the vessel, a sight she had not been given the opportunity to see yet, but Cleopatra would settle for being able to experience the very sight of his wings. 

Like a constellation come to life before her. 

"Castiel." 

Castiel stepped away from his soulmate (i never tire of hearing that word) and narrowed his eyes menacingly at the Archangel. You could practically _feel _the cold hostility radiating off of him in waves. "If you don't want to die tonight, back off."

It wasn't until after Raphael vanished that Cleopatra allowed her facade to fall, breathing a sigh of relief as she surged forward to meet her angel halfway. She instead settled for wrapping her arms around his waist from behind and burying her face in between his shoulder blades. Inhaling the very scent of him she had been longing for so long now. The sinew of his muscles beneath the coat, the rise and fall of his chest as he breathed. 

When she opened her eyes, the four of them were standing back in Bobby Singers house before the same window they'd been cast out of. "Wait a minute," A whimper of discontent left her lips as Sam pulled her away, clearly irritated by the truth that had been revealed. "You were in on this? Using us, using your _girlfriend, _as a diversion?!" 

"It was Balthazars plan. I would've done the same thing." 

Her heartbeat escalated at the thought. He would've sent _her_ into a foreign place, stripped of the very power that kept her _surviving, _without any idea as to what the consequences would be? "Castiel." She said softly. "That's not comforting to me. I trust these boys with my life.. but for you to openly suggest leaving me stripped of my very power?" Cobalt eyes flickered between the brothers uncertainly before they met her own. "That's not you." 

"What more can I do to make you understand!? If I lose against Raphael, we all lose everything. _Everything." _Reluctant hands reached outward to grasp hers in his own, bringing them upward to brush his knuckles against the back of her lips. Tears pricked her eyes at the thought of actually _losing _Castiel, someone who had impacted her life so significantly since that day in the park. "Which means I lose you, Cleopatra." 

The poor idiot was still completely oblivious to her research of Purgatory and the Leviathans. She'd sworn Dean and Sam to secrecy on the matter, believing it was best not to include the Seraph in on their findings. "We know the stakes, Cas." Dean interjected. "That's about all you've told us!" 

"I'm sorry about all of this." He murmured lowly. Hesitant eyes met her own as Castiel released her hands. "I'll explain when I can." 

Have you ever experienced that type of emptiness that settles deep into your very being, a poison that's infected your soul -- tainted your very person -- and you helplessly fight for an antidote that is guaranteed to make you whole again? Amplify it. The emptiness felt after a crushing realization that maybe, just maybe, he was further out of her reach then she realized. 

"You alright 'Patra?" Sams voice broke through her trance, prompting the Nephilim to pivot on her heel and embrace the younger Winchester as tightly as she could. He was caught off guard by the sudden need of physical contact but embraced it openly, something he'd come to slowly accept since Cleopatra had come into his life, as he thread his fingers through her hair. 

"I'm always alright." 

That was hunters code. Always alright normally meant not really alright at all. 


	40. And Then There Were None

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eve is proving to be more and more of a nuisance the longer she remains on Earth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is mostly a filler but because there's so much to do with Eve in this particular episode, I decided to include it.

_"You only like that movie because of Winslets rack. Try to convince me otherwise." Sam snorted and pushed his older brother and his best friend apart from one another. The three of them, along with Bobby, had gone out on a case involving an intriguing murder with who Cleopatra believed to be Eve, but had stopped at a local diner for some much needed sustenance. _

_And as always, Sam was seated on the other side of Dean, until he'd provoked Cleopatra into an argument about Titanic the movie. _

_"Why are we having this argument?" _

_"Because Dean's an idiot." Cleopatra replied as she slid a twenty in Deans direction. "And called me out here because I'm the man power, and the only possible way the three of you will be able to take Eve." _

It wasn't exactly something she was _fond _of, hunting. While it was all the Winchesters knew, it was something she more preferred to scarcely be involved in unless absolutely necessary. Mary Winchesters death had stoked the fire for Dean and Sam, but the loss of Reagan and Josiah had doused it for Cleopatra. 

Then the boys had gone and introduced her to Rufus Turner, a man around the same age as Bobby with a silver tongue and equally sarcastic attitude. Samuel Campbell had followed not long after, and that was how they'd found themselves in the middle of this chaotic mess. 

She hated him from the moment she laid eyes on him. 

"_Gwen?" _

_"Dean." Gwen breathed. Too stunned to move, the Campbell woman simply let Dean breeze past her and into the open room where an older man, presumably their grandfather, stood. _

_"Welcome to next time." Dean snapped, cursing when the weapon he'd been holding flew from his grasps and straight into Cleopatras hands. Samuel knit his brow together in amazement as he swore he saw a flicker of gold eyes in the darkness before the Nephilim emerged. "I said I'd kill him, 'Patra!" _

_"And I said you have to wait." She retorted. "Besides, it looks like Sam has something important to say." _

_Sam Winchester said a silent thank you to God that this remarkable woman held him in such high regard, a praise he'd be sure to remind her about later. "Why are you here?" He asked cautiously, hand still tightly wrapped around Deans wrist. _

_"We're working. You?" _

_"None of your d*** business!" _

_Bobby nodded to Cleopatra. "Cleo, take Dean for a walk." He ordered. The Nephilim nodded and tucked the weapon into the waistband of her jeans as she stepped forward, gentle hands lacing with Deans fingers as she closed the gap between the two of them. _

_"You've gotta be kidding me." _

_"Look, Dean. It's fine." Sam replied. "Just go with 'Patra, okay? This isn't her fight anyway. We only called her here for extreme emergencies only." Hazel irises flickered downward to meet the soft blue-greens staring back at him. His lips quirked upward into a smile at the sight. "And I meant it. Extreme." _

Everything went to crap - Oh, sorry. I mean everything went _extreme _literally five minutes after they walked out the door. 

After informing Cleopatra just of what Samuel had done to him and Sam when Sam had been soulless, Dean slowly began moving towards her, eyes darkening as his hands came to wrap around her hips. Stunned by the action, Cleopatra felt her breath catch in her throat when the elder Winchester pressed her into the wall, hands wound around her hips and chest nearly touching her own.

It was the closest they'd ever been. She suppressed the deep groan building in her throat, swore that those stunning eyes flickered to the deep blues of the ocean before she whispered, "_Dean." _

Unable to silence the frantic beating of her heart, Cleopatra cursed her curiosity and dared to look into Deans eyes - if only for a fraction of a moment, just to see what he was really thinking. The fool knew how to play with her heart, because the moment he started to lean in was the same moment he drew the weapon from her jeans and slammed it into her head. 

He stashed her body behind the nearest wall to keep it hidden from Gwen. 

_"That's the guy you're rolling with."_

_Gwen swallowed the bile threatening to rise in her throat at the thought of Samuel, a man she'd come to highly respect and love deeply, committing such an act against his own blood kin. "He didn't tell me anything about that." She confessed quietly. "I didn't know." _

_"I know. And honestly, there's something I need to tell you." _

_"What?" _

_The four men in the other room froze at the sound of a gunshot and sprinted into the hall, only to find Dean had disappeared and left the body of Gwen Campbell in his wake. Sam rushed forward at the sight of Cleopatras boots, collapsing beside her body to cradle her head in his hands. "C'mon, Cleo. You gotta wake up." He pleaded, gently slapping her cheeks in hopes it would rouse her. What he received was a string of expletives and relieved laughter as her eyes fluttered open and peered back at him. "That's my girl. You good?"_

_"I'm gonna murder your brother." She growled, taking his hand as the two of them stood to their feet. Cleopatra smoothed out the static in her hair and pressed two fingers to her temple in hopes it would force the pain in her head to ebb away into nothing. "But yeah, I'm good." _

They split up to search for Dean - Cleopatra, Sam and Bobby while Rufus and Samuel took to the opposite side of the building. She kept close behind Sam, angel blade safely tucked into her grasps and fingers loosely curled at her side as they crept through the shadows of the warehouse. It was only when they heard Deans voice that they sprinted through the doorway, hands raised in surrender as they attempted to break apart an inevitable altercation. 

"_Play nice, gentleman." Cleopatra tutted. "Cause I'd really rather not turn one of you into a shika bob just for trying to kill me." _

_Deans aim wavered between Rufus and Bobby as he struggled to focus his eyesight, clearly disturbed by whatever had occurred in between the incident in the hallway and presently. "I'm not in the mood!" He snapped. "I just had a twelve inch harpy crawl out of my ear!" _

_Her brow furrowed in confusion. What kind of creature were they encountering that physically entered a person and controlled their actions? "I'm confused. Harpies are birds." She mused, pressing her lips together as to not laugh at Deans skeptical expression. "So unless-" _

_"Look - Okay, I just woke up on the ground to see this worm thing sliding out of my friggin ear, and into that vent. So you tell me what the he** is going on!" _

_Cleopatra parted her hair for Dean to see the blossoming bruise that had spread over her temple. Healing it would've been fairly simple, but given the circumstances, she thought it best to know what he'd done to her. "Stole my gun and left me with a nasty bruise, Sunshine." She said. "You also killed Gwen with my gun. Thanks for that." _

He already had enough blood on his hands over the span of his long, painful life. She hadn't wanted to add more to it. 

_"What if this thing is still in you, hasn't left, and we can't trust a word you're saying?!" Samuel exclaimed._

_"It_'_s not in me!" Dean snapped. "Look, you wanna check? Let the lady do it. If anyone's gonna gank me with that thing still inside, deserves to be the girl I hit." His expression softened to one of guilt as Cleopatra crossed the room and met his eyes. "I'm sorry, 'Patra."_

_"You're forgiven. Always." She whispered, frowning as she swiped the outer shell of his ear and found her fingertip dampened with a substance that looked to be ectoplasm. "Haven't encountered many ghosts in my day, but I'm pretty sure this means that thing was in you at one point." _

_"Or it still is." _

_Cleopatra whipped around, hand raised and eyes flashing dangerously as she directed her anger at Samuel. "You know, I'm really trying hard not to kill you. That's kinda my role here, old man." She snarled. "Protect the boys, y'see. Hi. I'm Cleopatra. We met once, don't care to relive it." Sam snorted softly as she continued. "I'm their guardian angel sent from Heaven itself. If you even think about trying anything while I'm here," Samuel swallowed hard as her eyes darkened, mirroring the color of melted gold. The sight of it sent a shiver down his spine. "I'll introduce you to a little piece of Hell called a Nephilims Rage." _

No one ever bothered her when she threatened to unleash the fullest of her potential. They'd evaded enough Apocalypses in their time and didn't need the next catastrophic event to come at her hand. 

Unsure of who was infected and who wasn't, Bobby coaxed the remaining members of their small band to relieve themselves of their weapons. They decided to take some time to investigate deeper into the origins of the creature they were hunting but continuously came up blank and with less information then before. 

_"Hey Dean." Cleopatra murmured. Deans glare at Samuel shifted over to her as she inched herself away from the wall and held her hands in front of her. "Want me to make your day?" He nodded eagerly and gaped as she snapped her fingers and produced two slices of pie from thin air. _

_"Did you just conjure the best food on the planet from thin air?" _

_"Thank you Lord for sending your most ridiculous Archangel to Earth to be my Uncle," She proclaimed, clasping her hands together as if in prayer. "And a double thanks for learning from Gabriel how to conjure food in midair. Amen." Dean grinned as she threw a fork in his direction. "And yes, I did."_

_"I think I love you." _

Looking back on it, that comment was one Cleopatra shouldn't have simply brushed off. 

_They were in the middle of threatening Samuels life when Dean saw it - the black liquid oozing from his ear. In a flash did all three spring into action, Sam knocking Cleopatra behind him as Dean surged forward to knock the weapon from his grandfathers hand. _

_Cleopatra sprinted past the brothers as they followed her deeper into the warehouse in pursuit of Samuel, paying no attention to Bobby and Rufus' abrupt entrance. "We heard a shot!" Bobby called._

_"Samuel!" Dean exclaimed in reply. "C_'_mon!" The Nephilim skidded to a stop as she realized that Samuel had vanished from her sight. She closed her eyes and focused in on the noises echoing aimlessly against the walls, hoping to pick up on Samuels heartbeat or the sound of his breathing. She came up empty and cursed, flicking her wrist and sending the largest piece of equipment shattering against the nearest wall. "Give it up 'Patra! We lost him!" _

They regained their weapons and even after being split up, still continued in search of Samuel. Cleopatra kept at Sams side even with the two of them being alone together, eyes keenly peeled for the older man as she saw better in the dark then most humans did. 

Her rage grew when she caught sight of him. 

"_What_'_re you going to do, Sam? You're not gonna shoot me. And your little self righteous angel hybrid won't shoot me either." Samuel said. "You got your soul back. Are you going to shoot your own family?" _

_Sam straightened his shoulders and visibly calmed when he recognized her voice in his head. whispering the same words over again. I am your family. I am your family. You are **my **family. As if Cleopatra had to convince him of that. "Yeah, I wouldn't go with the family thing." He snapped. "Mine is right here next to me. Try again." _

_"Mary is still my daughter." Samuel replied firmly, trying to distract Sam from the fact that he was inching himself closer and closer to the two of them. "You're still named after me."_

_Cleopatra swallowed. "Sam-" _

_"This appears to be our moment, Sam. You still wanna know about your summer vacation?" Samuel asked. "I'll tell you all about it. You're just dying to know, huh?" _

_"Yeah, I am." _

Samuel could barely get two more words out before Cleopatra had forcibly pushed Sam aside and fired a bullet right in the center of his forehead. The sound his body made when he fell to the floor was pleasing to her ears. 

"_There." She whispered. "Now you can stop tormenting my boys." _

_Sam found it hard to catch his breath as she turned around to face him, eyes welled over with tears as trembling hands grasped for a firm hold on her weapon. It was her first kill since they'd saved Jimmy Novak all those months ago. _

_He'd never seen her look so small. _

_"Why," He rasped, swallowing the lump in his throat as his shoulders hunched, and Sam began to tremble with the weight placed upon his soul. A thousand questions rolled through his mind at once, his head spinning as he struggled to keep his eyes on her. Cleopatra had done the very thing he'd been dreading since that day they'd met in the Barn - sacrifice, on his behalf. "Why did you do that?" _

The short answer was that she cared more about him and Dean then she did about herself. But, as always, she gave him the answer he desired most. 

"_Because you have suffered enough." Cleopatra said quietly, crossing the gap between the two of them to take his hands in her own, Gentle fingers ghosted over taut muscles, tracing the veins of both his arms until her fingers curled around the shape of his jaw, forcing him to look at her. "I'd rather have his blood on my hands then have to see you carry his ghost and scrub his blood from your hands." _

_Sam exhaled sharply as she brushed her lips against his cheek in a hesitant kiss. It wasn't sexual, it wasn't any type of romantic kiss that had him internally screaming for more - but a means to convey the depth of how much she cared for him and his heart. A kind of love he'd been deprived of most of his life. _

_"Sam!" Deans yell interrupted their moment as the two pried themselves away from one another to greet the elder brother alongside Bobby and Rufus. Cleopatra froze as his gaze shifted between her and Sam, as if he were trying to discern which one of them would have killed their grandfather. _

_"Point your weapon at me, Dean." Cleopatra demanded. His brow furrowed in confusion as she threw her gun to the ground and raised her hands in surrender. "It wasn't Sam who killed Samuel. It was me. I'm still me." Rufus pulled his lip between his teeth as Bobby and Dean stared on in disbelief. _

_"Okay, Cleopatra. That's great." He replied, holding up a pair of zipties. "We just gotta cuff you until we can be sure." The Nephilim snorted in disbelief as Dean rummaged through his coat for the pair of Enochian handcuffs he carried. _

_"I know we just met, Rufus, and I'm probably the first angel you've encountered, but those won't work. I can break any type of bond except the ones that Dean has in his coat." _

Dean and Sam were set to watch her like a hawk for the next half an hour in the tensest silence she'd ever been a part of. It left her plenty of time to think about the long term consequences of taking a life that didn't belong to her. Samuel Campbell was Mary's father, Dean and Sams _grandfather_. If anyone was obligated to end him if the need came, it should've been one of them to put that bullet in his head.

So why was she so willing to sacrifice her humanity, to sacrifice who she was and what she stood for, to protect the Winchester Brothers? 

It was Dean who put it into the words she needed to hear. 

"_Just cause you're blood doesn't make you family. You gotta earn that." _

She had performed her duty to the best of her capability. Had tried to show the love that the brothers had lacked their entire lives because no one had ever shown it to them. Was there when they needed her, and hunted when it was necessary. Cleopatra prayed every night since her conversation with Chuck that she was the family they so desperately craved. 

Maybe that was why she did it. To protect them from their demons, to face that darkness that clung to their souls and say, "_Not this time." _

_><><><><><><><><><><><>_

Of all the things to kill a monster, of course it had to be _electricity _that killed this one. 

"_You're an angel." Dean deadpanned. "C'mon, wise girl. You're first." _

_"You know Castiel would smite you in your place if he saw you electrocuting me just to find out if I'm infected by this godforsaken worm." She retorted. Before she could react, Sam slammed the live wire against her skin and winced at the slew of curses that broke past her lips. "OW - Son of a-" _

_"See? No problem." _

She went through and healed Dean, Sam and Rufus, but Bobby refused to let the live wire touch him. And just as they were realizing why, Bobby Singer took his knife and plunged it into Rufus' chest cavity. Cleopatra caught his body just as he fell, her hand wavering over his heart as her palm radiated a soft gold aura. 

_"He stabbed him in the heart." She whispered. "Even I can't save the dead." _

They set Rufus on one of the tables and set to tying Bobby up by means of an entire roll of duct-tape. She stood at attention as the brothers interrogated the parasite that was occupying his body. Information about Eve. 

"_See, you're talking to a church girl right here." Cleopatra remarked. "I know who Eve is. She's the mother of humanity." Dark eyes snapped over to meet her own, and Bobbys lips turned upward in a venomous smirk. "Tell me what she's going to do, or I'm gonna scramble that head you're currently occupying." _

_"By the time she's done, there'll be more creatures then humans. You'll live in pens. We'll serve up your young and call it veal." Bobby stiffened as bright gold eyes angrily flashed in front of him, and the Nephilim whipped around to where she was standing directly behind him, hands hovering over his temples. _

_"Keep going, or you're gonna get fried." She snarled. _

_"Eve has a message for you." He said to Sam and Dean. "You're all going to die. She's pissed. She's here. And it's gonna be nothing but pain for you from here on in." _

_"Well, here's my response." _

She'd never forget the way he screamed as she entered his mind and Dean pressed the live wire to the exposed skin of his neck. Sam gently motioned her aside as the two watched black liquid pour from Bobbys nose, eyes widened by the pain surging through his body as the electricity thrummed deeper and deeper until his eyes threatened to roll back into his head. 

Then the worm crawled out of his ear and died as soon as it hit the floor. 

_Dean almost immediately dropped the wire and moved forward at the same time as Cleopatra did, prepared for extreme measures as Sam removed the duct tape from over his mouth. "Bobby," Sam urged. He held his surrogate fathers limp head in his hand as Cleopatra checked his external wounds, gentle fingers prodding at the charred skin on his neck as she healed the lesion caused by the wire. "He's not breathing." _

_"I got this boys." She whispered. Hands cradling the back of his head, Cleopatra allowed her eyes to gently flutter shut as gold light, her healing abilities, radiated from her palms. "Cmon, Singer. Your sons need you here." _

And just as she whispered those words into the depths of his mind, his eyes fluttered open. 

<><><><><><><><><><><

Profuse apologies don't always work. She attended Rufus' funeral with a melancholy expression, refusing to say a word as the three hunters mourned the loss of their friend. She had barely known him and it felt rather inappropriate to say anything in the midst of their conversation. 

A gentle rain started not long after she arrived to the Impala, digging through the duffel bag she had tucked beneath the seat for the trench coat that Misha had given to her when they'd been in the other world. Fingers rummaging through the contents of the bag, she pulled out her ipod and gently tucked the headphones into her ears just as Sam and Dean approached the car. 

Sam paused as she shifted her position against the rear passenger door, eyes soft as she curled her hand around his bicep. There weren't any words needed to convey her depth of sympathy for their loss, but yet she still asked, "Are you good?" Sam softly nodded and reciprocated the same action she'd done to him in the warehouse, gently cradling her jaw in his hand as he brushed the gentlest of kisses against her cheek.

On the drive home to Sioux Falls, Cleopatra fell asleep with both hands hanging over the front bench. When she woke later that night, Dean and Sam were both holding them. 


	41. Titanic? Yeah, I Hate It

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cleopatra's least favorite movie is the Titanic. When Balthazar saves the boat from sinking in order to gain the souls Castiel needs for his army, what kind of repercussions is this choice going to have along with all the other ones he'd made?

There was nothing special about the Titanic, 

Simply just a movie where the girl lost the boy she loved,

And lived to tell the tale. 

<><><><><><><><><><><><>

_Chester, Pennsylvania _

"Are you sure you haven't heard anything else from your father?" Cleopatra inquired, leaning against the brick alley of the building as she did so. Dean and Sam had dragged her out to the nearest local dive after Bobby had demanded the three of them leave him to silence after the loss of Rufus. And naturally enough, Aeron Macleod had called almost as soon as they'd arrived at the bar in Chester. "I haven't been tracking Castiel lately, having been tied up with the mother of all Creation." 

"_Daddy has been very secretive about his affairs with Purgatory, Poppet." _Aeron replied. "_But if I do see that angelic boyfriend of yours, I'll be sure to tell him about your concerns." _

She moved to reply when the brothers stumbled out the front door of the bar, prompting her to abruptly end her phone call as they eyed her suspiciously. "Your mother?" Dean asked, grinning wickedly when she nodded in reply. "Man, that woman can talk for hours-" 

"Shut up and get in the car, Deano." Cleopatra demanded as she shoved the older brother into the drivers seat, shielding her eyes from the sun that blared down upon them with her favorite pair of blue aviators, a gift from the brothers for her first successful hunt. "I hope you aren't drunk enough to not drive. I'm not in the mood and really would rather not die a-la-Winchester today." 

The same clue kept appearing with every victim they dug into. Gold thread. Gold thread. Gold thread. Dean eventually parted from her and Sam to gather information about the Russo family, hoping that there'd be a connection to what they believed to be a family curse. She and Sam had hit a dead end as well - Only gathering that the family had emigrated in 1912 and had lived a picket fence life ever since. 

_So why are all these people dying? _

"Ann Whitting. Are we sure she isn't related to Russos or a second cousin, twice removed?" Dean called out as the three of them entered the darkened travel agency later that night, only hours after catching wind of the death that had occurred within. Cleopatra frowned as she rifled through schedules, travel plans and promotional photos of different cities around the world. 

"No." She replied. "She's not related. We checked pretty thoroughly." 

"Well then, if this isn't a family curse, what the he** is it?" 

"You got me."

Cleopatra furrowed her brow as she knelt down, flashlight shining against the floor as she picked up another piece of gold thread with the pen she'd taken from the desk. "Hold on." She whispered. "I think I've seen this before. I was a huge Greek mythology dork way back in Junior High. Might have some lore on this in my bedroom." Sam jumped as she shot up and disappeared right before his very eyes. 

"Well, while the good little half breed does her thing," Dean interjected, drawing his brother from his daze. "I say we do ours." 

***

Sam was sat hunched over at his laptop, coffee long discarded as determined eyes skimmed through the articles he'd been reading for the majority of the time he'd been doing research. Red ink stained the bottom half of his hand from where he'd written on the paper to his right, hair mussed from tiredly running his fingers through it to keep himself awake. 

Dean on the other hand was in deep conversation with Ellen about the only connection between the families in California and in Pennsylvania - A boat that had sailed in 1912 and helped to emigrate people from other countries over to the United States. _The Titanic. _There was nothing special about it. It had simply done what boats _do. _

"Hey boys." Cleopatra greeted, setting down several books as she did so. "Did you get any further on that boat I keep hearing about? The Titanic?" Sam motioned her over and gently pressed his thumb against the screen as they read together. "The RMS Titanic was the worlds largest passenger steamship that made its maiden voyage across the North Atlantic in the year 1912.''

"So what," Dean replied. "It's a boat, it sailed. What's so special about one friggin boat?" 

"I don't-" Cleopatra stopped short in the midst of reading the article and snickered as she pointed to the photo of the crew in the bottom left hand corner of the article. "Oh Lord. Click on that picture." The photo was enlarged as he did so, giving her a clear view of all the crew members names and faces. "I.P. Freeley. What a name. Does this guy look familiar?" 

"You have _got _to be kidding me." 

As if this entire case weren't enough, in the front row of the Titanic crew photo, was Balthazar. 

<><><><><><><><>

"It's like he aspires to be the most extra angel in Gods creation." Cleopatra commented as she and Dean set to performing a summoning spell that would usher the angel into their motel room. The ceiling lights flickered out one by one until the familiar flutter of wings took their place to signal Balthazars entrance. "There he is. The most extra angel in his garrison-" 

"And there she is. My best friends soulmate." Balthazar replied. "Now whatever can I do for the three of you?" 

"What's with the boat, Balthazar?" Dean snapped. 

"_What _boat?" 

"The Titanic!" 

The Seraph gawked as he turned to the woman in front of him, flailing his arms toward the brothers in hopes she would come to his defense. "You're bloody joking! You don't remember it either?!" He deadpanned. "Cas told me you hate that god forsaken movie more then anything else in this world!" 

"I wouldn't know, seeing as there _is _no movie called The Titanic!" 

"Oh, there was. You see, it was meant to sink and I saved it. Meant to bash into this iceberg thing and plunge into the briny deep with all this hoopla, and I saved it. Anything else I can answer for you?" He asked. Frustrated by her lack of knowledge, Cleopatra pulled her bottom lip between her teeth and rifled through her memory for _The Titanic - _until she came across an argument she'd had with Dean in a bar. 

"Kate Winslet," She spoke slowly, much to Balthazars pleasure. "Played Rose. Am I right? Ew.." Raucous laughter filled the air as she crossed her arms over her chest. "That's right. Deano though she had a nice rack and that was the only reason he liked that stupid movie. There was nothing special about the Titanic. It's simply just a movie where the girl lost the boy she loved and lived to tell the tale!" 

_What's so great about that? _

"You still didn't-'' 

Sam held out a hand to silence the other two. "Why?" He questioned. "Why did you unsink the ship?" 

"Because I hated the movie!" Balthazar exclaimed. "As did she! It was the one thing we agreed on - That _god awful _Celine Dion song that made me wanna smite myself!" The Seraphim waited for any signs of recognition on the face of the woman across from him, grinning wickedly when she started gasping in disbelief and flailing her hands in his direction. "C'mon, there it is-" 

"I cannot _believe-" _She shrieked, much to the surprise of the brothers. "I _loathe _that song! It makes me want to punch myself into oblivion! But..." Laughter broke past her lips as Cleopatra steadied herself on her knees. "I'm sorry. Remember when I said you were the most extra angel in your garrison?" 

"Yes. A number of times." 

"I wasn't lying!" 

"_Okay-_" Sam interjected, clearly still baffled by the entire endeavor. "I didn't think any of this was possible. I thought you couldn't and weren't _allowed _to change history."

"Didn't you hear? There's no more rules, boys." 

The air in the room immediately became tense at his pompous remark, and Cleopatra straightened her spine just as Sam and Dean both stepped closer to her. A instinctive trait they'd picked up, alongside Castiel, in the months they'd known one another. ''Wow. The nerve on you. So you just.. what-" 

"Oh, come on! I _saved _people! I thought you three loved that kind of thing!" 

"You know, more and more people recently have been making small picture decisions without thinking of the big picture consequences." Cleopatra said. "You're playing a really dangerous game here, Balthazar. Those people, and their kids, and their kids kids... You're playing the butterfly effect here, changing fates and affecting deaths. Fate will not go for that kind of thing." 

Dean leaned inward as Balthazar went on another tangent about how happy she should be to never have come across the path of the three sisters, a fact that would've been useful to listen to in order to complete this case. "Rule one: We are not in Ashtons second best movie, 'Patra." He whispered lowly, hot breath ghosting over neck as he spoke. Cleopatra suppressed her laughter as she turned her head, flicking the side of his nose. 

"Look, it's just the small details that are different. Like you don't drive an Impala." The three of them looked at one another, clearly confused before turning back to the angel. "Yes yes, _what's an Impala_, I know that's what you're wanting to ask. And of course, Ellen and Jo are alive!" 

A memory appeared before her eyes - hands stained crimson, final goodbyes and an explosion that had her ears ringing as she ran away from it. That was what had happened. Jo and Ellen had laid down their life to the hellhounds in order for the three of them to escape safely. And now, in Balthazars remade world, both of them were still alive. 

Small miracles do indeed exist. 

"I remember." She said softly. "Whatever he did came full circle and prevented Ellen and Jo from dying." 

"Let's all agree that I did a good thing." Balthazar commented, downing his glass as he loosely wrapped his arm around Cleopatras shoulders. Gentle hands ascended to wrap around his own as she listened to the rest of their conversation in regards to saving the survivors that were being offed by an unknown perpetrator. "Cleopatra, do you agree with all of this?" 

"Dean's right." She said. "We do need to save as many as we can." 

"I'm sorry. You have me confused with another angel. Y'know, the one in the dirty trench coat who's in love with the Nephilim."

That statement alone stopped her in her tracks. Was Balthazar telling the truth, or was it simply a mean to distract her from the cruel reality of their situation? If Castiel were indeed in love with her, truly cared about her heart as much as he claimed, then why wasn't he _here? _

Why did he insist on remaining as far away from her as possible? 

***

"_So Balthazar unsank a boat and now we have a boatload of people who should've never been born." _

Sam watched in amazement as Cleopatra stood across the room, hands extended and legs spread evenly apart as she focused on the item in front of her. After a rather exhausting day of case-working, the younger Winchester had been intrigued by the thought of all that she could do, and so had put her powers to the test. 

By having Sam launch every item in their motel room at her and deflecting each in return. Snapping some in half, impaling the wall with others, you get the picture. 

"Yeah," Sam replied as he closed one eye and threw Cleopatras angel blade as hard as he could. The Nephilims eyes flew open and she snapped her wrists outward just before the blade could penetrate her stomach, impaling the wall above the headboard instead. "Like fifty thousand people." 

"_Makes sense, cause now I've got an idea of who we're up against. 'Patra figure it out yet?" _

Both brothers turned away from the phone to gaze at their best friend, who had taken a seat on her bed now dressed in a entirely different outfit and her nose buried in her _Greek Mythology _book. "Uh, hey Hermione, wanna tell us if you've already figured out who we're up against? Old Man Singer wants to know.'' 

_"Old man my-" _

"The Fates." Cleopatra interposed. "Not sure if it's Fate herself or one of her sisters, I'm guessing the former." Dean watched closely as she pulled her bottom lip between her teeth, blue green eyes intently scanning each sentence of the pages she read. Clad in navy pajama pants and a _Washburn Alumni _teeshirt, hair messily pulled on top of her head, it was one of the most beautiful sights he'd ever seen. Most innocent, the softest sight- "_Dean." _

It was hard to conceal his blush at the sternness tone of his name, much less the fact that she had caught him. 

"Gold thread." Sam murmured. He caught sight of his brothers perplexed expression and nudged him roughly in the ribs. "Did you catch _anything _Bobby just said?" 

"No." Cleopatra replied. "But I'll be sure to fill Mr. Stares A Lot in." She crossed the room and crawled behind Sam, casually throwing her arms over his shoulders and eventually resting her chin in the crook of his neck. The younger brother visibly relaxed in her embrace and rested his hand on top of her own as Bobby continued. "So, do we have a way to take Fate out?" 

"_Yeah, I was hoping you'd snap your half breed fingers and she'd go bye bye." _

Cleopatra snorted. "Yeah, nice try there." She retorted. "One flick of my wrist when I'm provoked enough could literally implode the planet. You don't want to see what happens when I _really _get angry. Sending Lucifer straight back to Hell was only scratching the surface." 

"_Well then, the easiest way to fix the issue would be to get the angel to resink the boat." _

Dean immediately jumped to the defensive. "No, Bobby." He snapped. "We are not under any circumstances sinking that boat. No. Just.. it's not happening." 

"_Well, okay then. What's got your panties in a clinch?" _

_"_Nothing." Cleopatra glowered at Dean and urged him on with a flash of brightened gold eyes. "Well, it doesn't even really matter, but apparently a crapload of dominos get tipped over if the Titanic goes down. And uh.. bottom line? Ellen and Jo die." 

An uneasy, tense silence filled the room as Cleopatra swept her free hand over Deans shoulders, maneuvering so she sat between the two brothers who waited with baited breath for their surrogate father to reply. The older Winchester exhaled slowly and rested his head against her own as Sam moved in closer to rest his hand on her thigh. 

"_Okay you three, listen up." _Bobby demanded. "_You make sure you keep those angels from sinking that boat. Do you understand me?" _

_"_Yeah." Sam replied. "Yeah Bobby, of course." 

The line went dead before any of the three could react. 

Cleopatra sighed deeply and nuzzled closer to Dean, who absently twirled his cellphone in his hands as Sam kept his gaze firmly locked on the wall in front of him. She blew a stray hair from her face and limply fell back onto the brothers shared mattress. 

"Boys," She proclaimed. "We are _royally _screwed." 

***

And so Shawn Russo died a painful, horrendously _ironic _death. 

Cleopatra was the first one to catch sight of her, hidden away in the windows of one of the nearby buildings. Her eyes narrowed in on the figure - a woman with straight blonde hair and cold eyes hidden behind thick rimmed glasses, wearing a satisfied smile until she caught sight of the Nephilim staring at her. 

And then her smile turned downright wicked. 

"I think I found her, gentleman." She ushered toward the building that Fate had been seen in. "She looks like a ancient librarian." Dean wiggled his eyebrows provocatively and leaned inward so that the two of them stood side by side. 

"Your kind of librarian or my kind?" He whispered. Laughter bubbled in her throat at his utterly absurd remarks. 

"Cleopatra is literally as straight as straights go, Dean." Sam replied matter-of-factly as he split the two of them apart. "And, as a matter of fact, she was wearing clothes. So more _our _kind of librarian then yours." 

"Well then, why don't we go talk to her?" 

"Because of all the stupid things that have ever taken place with you two, that would surely take the cake!" Cleopatra replied. 

"We aren't on her hitlist, stupid." Dean retorted. "We have nothing to do with the boat. And besides, if things go south..." Forest green eyes flickered up and down her form until they met her eyes, which stared at him questioning in waiting for his answer. "You're our insurance policy."

Her heart swelled at his words. "I keep you safe?" 

Dean nodded firmly. "_You _and _Cas_, when he finds it convenient to show up." 

That statement alone has her in high spirits for about the next ten minutes, because before she had time to celebrate how heavily Dean and Sam relied on her, depended on her... Fate tried to set the three of them on fire. And she probably would've, if Cleopatra hadn't been freaked out by Castiels impromptu appearance and transported them to White Russia. 

"_Cas?!" _

Cleopatra stumbled backward after taking one look at Castiel, and it took all of her willpower not to slap him as hard as she possibly could. "Hello Dean, Sam." He greeted, eyes flickering over to her. It was hard not to shiver under the intensity of his gaze, cobalt irises piercing the fabric of her very soul as he drank in the sight of her - one Castiel had not been gifted with in quite some time. "Cleopatra." 

"Points for freaking me out enough to transport the four of us across the globe." She praised. "Where are we, by the way?" 

Castiel lifted his head and examined the clearing they'd landed in. Shrouded by trees and little light other then the moon that hung in the sky overhead. "White Russia." He replied. "And to answer your question, Dean. yes. I'm aware of what Balthazar did. He can be a little impetuous." 

"Well then Einstein, riddle me this. If Fate is going after the boat people, why did she try to waste Sam, 'Patra and I?!" 

"Fate most likely tried to wipe out Cleopatra in hopes it would provoke me enough for an inevitable confrontation." Castiel said. "And I imagine she harbors a certain degree of rage towards the three of you for averting the Apocalypse and rendering her obsolete." 

"I'd rather her try to kill me for being your girlfriend then saving the world." Cleopatra muttered. 

"If I know her, and I do, she won't stop until you two are dead. And as I anticipated, I will be having a talk with her about trying to obliterate a Nephilim. She knows who you are to me," Castiel exhaled deeply as Cleopatra stepped up to meet him, eyes questioning as her hand hesitantly rested over his heart. The way she gasped softly at the thrum of his heartbeat beneath her fingertips did not go amiss by the Seraph. "Because I will not let her touch you, and she knows it." 

"I don't need protecting, Castiel." Cleopatra stated. "As much as you like to do so, I'm one of the most powerful creatures on the planet. Not to mention that I took self defense classes with another angel. I don't need a man to save me." 

"No, you don't." Calloused fingertips traced the frame of her face as Castiel rested his hands on her cheeks, eyes shining in the darkness as he faintly brushed his lips over the crown of her head. "But that doesn't mean I'll stop trying. As long as you are still breathing," He leaned inward as his other hand came to rest on the curve of her hip veiled by the jacket she wore. "I will do everything in my power to keep you safe." 

_Even if that means betrayal? _

She hoped he heard her words echoing inside her head. It was the only way to hint at what she'd learned in the time he'd been gone. Even if Castiel had heard her, he made no move to show it. 

"So what do we do?" 

"Kill her." Castiel stated rather bluntly. 

Three pairs of equally astonished eyes turned towards the Seraph, almost as if to say, "_Why, geez. Kill Fate. Why didn't we think of that?" _

_"_With what?" Dean interjected. "What kind of a weapon would we need to kill her? Almost seems like a rather difficult thing to obtain, don't y'think?" 

"Balthazar has a weapon that will work against her." Castiel said. "It will take some effort to draw her out, but because she's already searching for you, I don't see it as being difficult. I believe you have a term for it... _Tempting fate?" _

*** 

Tempt fate, he said. That'll be how we draw her out and wipe her off the map. Face skateboarders, ferocious dogs and people juggling numerous items, items that could decapitate them, and just so happened to be on fire. And then they passed underneath a row of apartments, and whatever item fell out of the window (they were too close to see it properly) very nearly killed the Winchester brothers. 

Until the Seraph slowed down time, and his Nephilim held that item in place just above Dean and Sams head. 

"Castiel," She began. "And his Nephilim. Funny. I wasn't expecting to see you face to face, considering you're supposed to be dead."

Cleopatra slowly turned her head to face the newcomer, who Castiel had told her was named Atropos. She was still dressed in the neatly pressed pantsuit, clipboard tucked against her chest and cunning gaze flickering between the two of them from behind her thick glasses. 

"Well, look at you. You're just a ray of freakin' sunshine." Cleopatra snapped. Her remark was halted by the gentle touch of Castiels hand around her bicep, silencing her tongue as she was then forced to witness the altercation between Fate and the Seraph she had known for millenia. 

"Atropos." He greeted rather solemnly. "You look well."

"I look like stomped over _crap!" _She snapped. "Because of you, and because of _her." _

It was the first time Cleopatra had seen true contempt pointed directly at herself, instead of the other way around. All she had done with Sam and Dean was prevent the end of the world and save _millions _of people, and this was how she was repaid by the so called people of Heaven. It only fueled her anger towards them -- the angels her Father had created -- and their utter ignorance towards humanity. Towards the beauty of those people, the ones who sacrificed everything, and were given nothing in return. 

"You ruined my life, Castiel!" 

"Let's not get emotional." 

"Not get _emotional?!_" Fate exclaimed. "I had a job! God gave _me_ a job! We all had a script. I worked hard. I was really, really good at what I did until the day of the big prizefight. And then what happens? You throw out the book!" 

"Well, I'm sorry. Freedom is more preferable." Castiel began, pivoting on his heel to point at Cleopatra behind him. She was rather firmly concentrated on ensuring that if Fate did unfreeze the timelock that Sam and Dean weren't killed because of her lack of apathy. "It was because of freedom that I saw her, a creation made by our Father for _me." _

_"_You think falling in love with Heavens second most abhorrent abomination is freedom?" Atropos shook her head, clearly disappointed by his response. He was nothing like the other angels - humanized by his time on Earth, and very oblivious to the lovesick look in his eyes when he gazed at the halfbreed. "Look around you! Your union, everything that's going on right now? That isn't freedom. This is chaos! How exactly is that better?"

"There are more pressing matters at hand here." Castiel replied. 

Unfazed by his futile attempt to change the subject, Atropos resisted the urge to allow her lips to quiver at the swell of tears that blurred her vision. "But-" She rasped, swallowing the lump that had grown in her throat as she stared at Castiel. "I don't know what happens next. I need to know. It's what I _do-_" 

"I'm sorry, but your services are no longer required." 

"You know what?" Atropos snarled. "I could've complained, I could've raised a fuss. But I didn't. You know what the last straw is? Unsinking the Titanic. You changed the future, you cannot change the past!" 

Cleopatras eyes widened as she turned her focus away from Dean and Sam to the angel who stood behind her, eyes cast at the ground as he was under Fates scrutiny. She had done the one thing he had prayed wouldn't happen -- exposed his plans and furthermore, his intentions. 

"It's Balthazar. He's erratic-" 

"Bullcrap." She snapped. Atropos gazed over her shoulder to the Nephilim, eyes widened in terror of the utter arrogance that the angel she loved possessed. "Come over here, Nephilim. Learn the truth about your angel and the vile things he has done for his so called _war effort." _

The tension in her muscles lessened as Cleopatra turned away from the brothers and towards Fate, unwilling to argue as she was too shell shocked by the revelations that had aspired in minutes past. "Castiel," She breathed, eyes pleading desperation as she waited for him to meet her gaze. "Please tell me that what she's saying isn't true." 

"Oh, dear heart. It is true. This whole thing isn't about some stupid movie." Fate said. "Balthazar is under Castiels orders. It was your dear Cas who sent him back to save that ship." 

Even with all the facts presented against him, Castiel still somehow managed to stand his ground. The prospect of losing Cleopatra was more then enough to bear, and he wasn't about to take that chance in the midst of the war he was fighting. "No. I _didn't_." He said firmly. "Why would I?" 

"Oh, maybe because you're in the middle of a war and you're desperate. C'mon now. This is about the souls." Fate turned head toward Cleopatra. "Which I believe is something you are now knowledgeable about, giving that you've been cavorting with the Cambion for quite some time." Castiels brow furrowed as he glanced over at Cleopatra, who looked as if she had too been hiding more then she cared to admit. 

So that was what their relationship was built off of. _Secrets. _

"You don't know what you're talking about. 

Exasperated at his unwillingness, Fate continued, "That angel went and created 50,000 new souls for your war machine! You can't just mint money, Castiel. It's wrong, it's dangerous. And I went let you. Hopefully neither will she, if she's smart enough." 

"You don't have a choice." 

"Maybe I don't." She replied. "But here's a choice for you. If you don't go back and sink that boat, I'm gonna kill your two favorite pets, and rewrite your ever-so-pathetic love story. I can take that woman out of your life with just a flick of my wrist. What are you without her? Have you ever thought about that?"

The thought rung in both their heads simultaneously. 

_Lost. _

"I won't let you take Sam and Dean. And I most assuredly will fight," He advance closer and closer to Fate, voice dropping dangerously low to convey just how serious he was about the matter. Cleopatra watched as he became seemingly larger, the celestial being inside of the vessel quivering with unbridled fury, only held together by his self control. "Fight harder then I ever have before in order to continue writing this story. Do you really want to test me?" 

"Okay, fine. But think about this: I've got two sisters out there. They're bigger. In every sense of the word. Kill me, Sam and Dean are target one, for simple vengeance. Cleopatra is the next one, a kill just bad enough to unleash that hurricane that stirs inside of you." She grit her teeth and leaned inward. "You're not fighting a war or anything right? You can watch the three of them every millisecond of every day. All eternity, condemned to humanity. Maybe you've heard? Fate strikes when you least expect it." 

"Balthazar, stop." 

Both women whipped around to face the other Seraph, who stood poised to thrust his blade into Fates ribcage and wound her mortally. "Uh," He stammered, flashing a embarrassed smile. "Awkward." 

"Castiel, set things right before I flick your precious boys off a cliff based on principle." Fate demanded. "Set things right, or you lose your soulmate." 

Balthazar and Castiel eyed one another, confirmation that they agreed on the choice to be made, before he clapped his hands in satisfaction of the outcome. "Well then, ladies and gentleman, let us sink the Titanic!" 

***

_You're here, there's nothing I fear_

_And I know that my heart will go on _

Pale fingers snapped outward and hastily moved to turn the radio off. "I hate that stupid song." Cleopatra muttered. She trekked through the junkyard alone, anxiously awaiting for Sam and Dean to wake up where they were nestled inside of the Impala. Castiel had sent her back to Sioux Falls without so much as a _goodbye, _and she was contemplating what to do next. 

Smack him into oblivion, or abstain from speaking to him until he set things right with whatever was currently going on in Heaven. 

Dean stumbled out of the Impala and roughly jarred his head as he laid it in his arms. "Dude," Sam asked as he too exited the vehicle and faced his brother, who looked to be equally confused. "I'm... What time is it?" 

"Evening." Cleopatra interjected. The Nephilim turned up the collar of her stolen trench coat and feigned a smile as she dug her hands deeper into its pockets. Her legs were almost hidden behind the fabric of the coat. "I'm guessing you two are recovering from some fairly strange dream?" 

"Yeah... Mine had the Titanic in it." 

Sam and Dean eyed one another suspiciously. "Did it... uh, not sink?" Sam asked. "Because Balthazar-" 

"Hate a hate on for Billy Zane?" 

Cleopatra snickered. "Oh Lord," She cried. "You two are incorrigible. Yes, the Titanic didn't sink, Balthazar is ten times more extra then we actually anticipated, and the Harvelles didn't die. None of it was a dream." The flutter of wings had her on high alert as she whipped around, hand extended as Castiel appeared behind her. The Seraph furrowed his brow at the woman he loved. Why was she so stand-offish toward him? So hostile? So _not _herself? 

_"_She is correct." Castiel said. "None of it was a dream. I insisted he go back in time and correct what he had done." 

The urge to reveal his blatant lies overtook her, and so Cleopatra lifted her hand and pressed it against her mouth. Before either of the three could ask what was bothering her, she whipped around so fast that the mark she left on Castiels cheek blazed bright red with the mark of a hand print to bear. Her eyes flashed maliciously, vacant of any emotion, as two enormous white and gold wings unfurled and extended to shield the Winchesters.

Shield them from _him. _

"_Woah-_" Dean chided, wrapping his hands around her wrists to pull her backward. "You slap him any harder, he's gonna bleed. What on Earth happened between you two?" 

"Nothing." Castiel interrupted. "And to answer your question, Sam? Having Balthazar resink the Titanic was the only way to be sure all three of you were safe." 

Wildfire blazed in Cleopatras eyes as she thrashed in Deans grasps, desperate to reach the Seraph in order to hit him harder. Wound him. Make him _bleed _for his arrogance. Hurt him just enough that he wouldn't come running back to her. That was their hubris - their loyalty. No matter the circumstances, or how dark and desolate things became, they would always run back to each other. 

"Dean," Cleopatra said calmly. "I need you to hit me as hard as you possibly can with whatever object is closest to you. Because if I have to sit here and hear this utter bulls-" She paused momentarily and deeply inhaled, hoping to calm the erratic pounding of her heart. "I'm gonna kill somebody. Do it. Just knock me out." She turned in Deans arms and gripped the lapels of his coat tightly. "_Please, _Dean. I need you to do this for me!" 

Sam rounded the Impala with one of the tools used for maintenance and raised his hand, slamming the item into her head just hard enough for her to fall unconscious in Deans arms. Castiel merely watched as the older brother picked her up bridal style and rested her body on the trunk of the Impala. 

"Sleep well, 'Patra." Dean whispered as he leaned down, parting her hair from her face to brush the gentlest of kisses against her forehead. A tender moment between a man who would have laid down his life, had she asked for it. "You have a hunter watching over you."


	42. Samuel Colt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's back to meet Samuel Colt to retrieve the very gun that may or may not help them kill the Mother of All.

_"_Look, I don't care how badly you want to go. You have been _wounded _by the angel who is supposed to be wholly devout to you, and I think you're oversimplifying just how bad you feel." Dean chided as he wrapped his hands around Cleopatras shoulders. They'd been bickering for nearly forty five minutes about the case that Sam had dug up within the Campbell Family library, and the elder brother was adamant she stay behind to recuperate from her ordeal with Castiel. 

"_Dean-_" Cleopatra grit her teeth as she dug her toes into the floor, gold eyes flashing dangerously in hopes it would sway up. Much to her chagrin, it did the exact opposite and only spurred him on more. "The only way I am going to find it in me to keep pressing on is if I throw myself into finding Eve, into _hunting. _It's the only distraction I have-" 

The way his expression immediately became solemn sent chills down her spine. "Don't do that." He replied gravely. "Don't be Sam and I. That's the last place you want to end up." 

Unwilling to dredge up any past regrets or choices the brothers had made in their life of hunting, Cleopatra inhaled deeply and allowed herself to relax in Deans embrace. He had that tendency with her, to say exactly the right thing that would in turn cause her to retreat.

"Fine." She murmured, tucking a stray hair behind her ear. "You and Sam hunt down more information about how to kill Eve, I'll stay here with Bobby. I'm pretty sure it's time for my impromptu phone call to my mother anyway. Maybe she'll know something about this." 

Dean grinned at her and bent down to press a hasty kiss to her forehead, parting from her side to join his brother who remained bent over the lore before him at the table in the library. The three of them rifled through decades worth of lore while Cleopatra pulled information from her mother and what she knew about Eve. 

"_Afraid I'm not much help in this department, sweetheart." _Alexandria remarked. "_Let me know if I can do anything else for you and the boys." _

Cleopatra opened her mouth to reply when the flutter of wings drew her attention, and so she immediately unfurled her wings in defense of the three men and drew her angel blade at the sight of the angel who stood before her. "Mama, I'm going to have to call you back." Her cellphone clattered to the floor as Cleopatra lunged forward, eyes alight as she pinned her against the wall and press the tip of the blade to her neck. "I can smell the stench of Heaven on you, angel." 

"And I can see the fury in your eyes, unholy abomination." The blonde snarled in return. "My name is Rachel. I come in peace under the orders of Castiel." 

Dean stood to his feet, brow furrowed in confusion as to why Castiel hadn't come to greet them himself. "Patra, back off." He demanded. Almost immediately did she retreat, remaining in front of Dean and Sam with her blade poised perfectly in her fingers. "We kind of need to talk to the big cahuna. This is a joint deal between him and his lady." 

"As I said, I'm here on Castiels behalf-" 

"And where is he?" Sam interjected. 

"Busy." 

Cleopatra snorted indignantly at the remark and crossed her arms over her chest. "That's the problem, _Rachel__._" She replied. "He's always too busy for the things that are important. Or are supposed to be important to him. I can't tell the difference anymore." 

"I'm sure your issue is very important, but Castiel is currently commanding an army, so-" 

"So we get stuck with Miss Moneypenny!" 

The angels eyes darkened at the sarcastic remark. It was the one sole difference between Castiel and the other angels of his garrison and the ones he now commanded - the capacity to feel a deep affection for humanity. All of the other angels had only been put on Earth out of obligation, but Castiel had sought out Jimmy Novak and had chosen humans over his own people. Had chosen emotion, had chosen _love. _

"You need to learn your place." Rachel snapped, her gaze flickering to the Nephilim who had not once looked away from her. Her brothers and sisters had been right - being in the presence of a divine being so powerful was incredibly intimidating. "Especially you, Nephilim. Believing he will come at your beck and call simply because he is your soulmate-" 

"Oh, I'm sorry." Cleopatra retorted. "Were _you _the one who created me solely for Castiel? To remain loyal to him, no matter the circumstances? To live the rest of my life at his side, to eventually become his wife and defy all the odds that have been placed against me? _No._" Dean leaned forward and slipped the blade from her hand just as he caught sight of her eyes changing color. "You're just a weak, pathetic little soldier who wants to look good in front of her commander. Where's your courage now, Rachel?" Rachel inhaled sharply as Cleopatra lifted her fingers, tilting her head as she was prepared to snap and wipe her from existence. "Where's your bravery in the face of all you fear?" 

"That's _enough_, Cleopatra." 

The gravelly baritone of the Seraphs voice was just enough for her to turn to acknowledge him, allowing the other angel to slip away unnoticed. 

"I had that." She assured. Castiel swallowed thickly and observed the tensity in her shoulders, the way her wings seemed to curl around herself to shield her from his sight. The aversion of her gaze and how she shied away from him the closer he became made his heart drop into his stomach. 

"I know you did." Sam caught her eyes and motioned her to his side with a nudge of his head. Cleopatra veered away from Castiel and sat in the chair beside Sam as the Seraph turned to regard the four of them earnestly. "So what is it exactly that you need?" 

*****

"By the way, about your plan.. You only have twenty four hours."

Of course it was flawed. Nothing was ever easy with them.

Even with her assistance in sending them to Sunrise and then retrieving the boys to bring them back to present time, time travel was still far too difficult and strenuous for them both and thus greatly reduced the amount of time permitted. 

"Even with Cleopatra helping you send us back there?" Sam asked. Cleopatra pulled her lip between her teeth and raised her hand. "You don't need to raise your hand-" 

"Beside the point." She replied. "You know, I am ten times stronger then him. I could always send you back myself. It's not like I _agreed _to help this oaf send my boys back to the 1800s." Each individual hair on her arms stood as the pads of his fingers grazed the tattoo of his name, and had Sam and Bobby not been standing there, she was sure she would've thrown him through the kitchen wall. "Castiel-" 

"Flower." 

She swatted his hand away and snapped her head upward, gaze cool and virulent. "You lost my permission to touch me, Angel." Cleopatra gripped the lapels of his coat and stood on her tiptoes to whisper in his ear. "That is now something that you have to earn back." 

"_Anyway-" _Sam interjected. Cas frowned as Cleopatra released him and glanced once over her shoulder before retreating to the kitchen for a much needed drink to quench her thirst. His eyes danced over the undulated swell of her hips and her lengthening black hair, which she had not cut since before Sam had fallen into Lucifers Cage. The glare of his name, an unspoken promise written in his native tongue that he felt he had already broken. "Why only twenty four hours?" 

"The further back I send you, the harder it becomes to retrieve you.'' He replied. "Twenty four hours is all I can risk. If Cleopatra and I don't pull you home within that time, you'll be lost to us."

"Well then," Dean called as he stepped into the house, carting along several bags from the stores he'd visited on his so called supply run. "We better get you a watch." Cleopatra eyed the bags skeptically as Dean extended his arm to Sam. "We are going native. Have to blend in." 

Realization clicked as it dawned upon her: Dean was intending for Sam, his freakishly tall brother, to don the apparel of a cowboy. 

"Oh no," Laughter bubbled in her chest as four pairs of eyes snapped to her, nearly doubled over and clutching her stomach as she gasped for air. "Sam Winchester, as a _cowboy? _Fulfills all my dreams." Sams eyes narrowed as Cleopatra removed the Stetson from the bag and poised it on his head, preparing to snap an incriminating photo. "Go put on that outfit and let me worship you in all your sexy splendor." 

Sam begrudgingly complied and traipsed up the stairs, returning moments later in a crisp white button down and jeans that hugged all the right places. "Patra, I look stupid." He whined, followed close behind by Dean who wore a Stetson and what looked to be a poncho slung over his shoulders. "How is this _sexy?" _

"You are glorious." She breathed, dramatically running her hands over Sams chest much to the chagrin of the boyfriend who stood behind her. "Besides, it's only for twenty four hours. You'll love it by the time you're done." Cleopatra peered behind the younger brother and narrowed her eyes at Dean. "What are you wearing?" 

Dean guffawed as she eyed him skeptically, watching the way he fidgeted with his blanket and the pants he'd chosen. "What? You don't think I look sexy too?" 

Bobby took the opportunity to interrupt the both of them. "Going to the hoedown dressed in a blanket?" He asked. 

"It's a Serape, and yes it's a-" He shrunk under the scrutiny of three different pairs of eyes as the two brothers fell beside one another. "Never mind. Let's just go." Cleopatra stood in front of Sam as Castiel took his place in front of Dean. "Gonna be my Queen in shining armor once we capture this Phoenix?" 

"Heck, maybe I'll be the cowgirl to your cowboy." Cleopatra retorted, grinning at the blush that spread across Deans face at the way he appeared to be too tongue tied to respond, and together she and Castiel pressed two fingers to the brothers heads and watched them disappear before their very eyes. 

It was only a moment later that the Seraph announced his departure and asked they prayed to him in 24 hours for when he was to assist in returning the boys to present time. Bobby pressed his lips together as Castiel met Cleopatras eyes once, gaze pleading understanding as she simply shook her head and turned away from him. 

He disappeared a moment later.

"Wanna tell me what's really going on between you and Feathers, 'Patra?" Bobby asked. The older man grimaced as the refrigerator door slammed open and a lone beer flew across the room and straight into her hand. "Bad enough that it requires the girl who abstains from liquor to do the exact opposite?" 

"Girl's gotta unwind somehow, Singer." She raised her bottle and stumbled over to the sofa, throwing herself into the cushions and crossing her legs at her ankles. "When it's time to let you, you gotta just _let go, _y'know? Don't fight the natural order." 

"What the he** are you talking about?" 

"I'm talking about my angelic soulmate, for Gods sake!" She snapped, slamming the heel of her boot into the floor as she flicked her wrist hard, causing the bottle at her side to shatter into pieces as it collided with the parallel wall. "That boyfriend of mine who has been lying through his teeth for months, and I'm about this close to beating him until he's blue in the face." 

"You can do that?" 

Bobby swallowed thickly as he was met with angered gold eyes. Eyes that reflected decades worth of unbridled rage, guilt and grief, fear of those who sought out nothing other then to be the one that won the title of _Nephilim Slayer. _He had always known she was a bomb waiting to go off, an explosion waiting to happen. 

It just had yet to come true. 

"I'm Heavens most terrifying weapon next to the Archangels, Bobby Singer. I can do _whatever _I please to Castiel, and there's no one here to stop me." 

When Cleopatra vanished in search of her angelic boyfriend, Bobby Singer bent over at his desk, hands clasped beneath his chin, and he prayed. 

***

"We need to talk." 

Let me tell you something. When your best friends on the planet are over a hundred years back in time in search of the only thing that can kill the Mother of All, and your boyfriend is a compulsive liar with a desire to hide the ordeals he has been involved with for months, it becomes increasingly difficult to keep your patience. 

She shouldn't have followed him, but she's glad she did. 

Cleopatra crept in the shadows of the outer portion of the warehouse, eyes keenly set on Castiel and Hannah who stood in the wide open space before her. 

"You _summoned _me here?" 

"Castiel, I've been hearing things." Hannah confessed. "I heard your soulmates thoughts when I met her in that Library. Whatever you are involved in, she knows about it." His expression flickered to confusion for a brief moment as Hannah advanced towards him. "She is concerned, as am I. These are things we don't want to believe. I just need to know if it's true." 

"If what's true?" 

"You know, your dirty little secret." 

The air around her electrified, causing the hairs on the back of her neck to stand on edge at the new presence that entered the room. Her eyes flickered back and forth until she caught sight of him -- Aeron Macleod, the Cambion -- standing on the opposite side of the warehouse. 

"Do you see what's taking place here, Poppet?" His voice grated in her ear, low and dark, as he circled the place she stood. "This is where his resolve crumbles, and that loyalty you've placed in him falls to pieces. Do you want to keep him safe by being the ruler of Heaven, this place he so desires to rule?" Cleopatra swallowed thickly as strong hands curled around her shoulders, almost like claws digging into the soft flesh that seemed to always be supporting the weight of the world. "You want it." 

"Want.. _what?" _

_"_To rule Heaven. To finally rid the world of those buffoons who hurt you and constantly damage the spirit of that man-" He pointed a thin finger at Castiel. "Trying to turn him into something he's not. What you _want_, Cleopatra.. is that power you've been denied your entire life. All you have to do is give in."

He waved his hand and produced the same crown he'd shown her the last time they'd met. 

_You crave this darkness. _

"I crave that power." Her voice broke as she turned her head just enough to meet the blazing red eyes of the Cambion. "But I _desperately _crave to catch him in the act alongside Sam and Dean. Only way I'm going to do that is if I-" The sounds of an altercation broke her from her trance, and Cleopatra sprinted across the warehouse just as Rachel dug the tip of her angel blade into the other Seraphs sternum.

_You crave the power you've been denied. _

Aeron watched in amazement as the Nephilim unfurled her wings, blade drawn as she gave a flick of her wrist and sent the opposing angel into the construction equipment that lay dormant to her right. He imagined how she would react if the Angel was ever lost to her, if she would succumb to the desires of her flesh that she had been denied of since birth. The rage. The utter _hatred _towards the people who despised her existence.

What a cruel existence it was to live in such a hatred.

His father thought she would bring glory to Hell by utterly decimating the host of Heaven. And that was only if she were to lose Castiel. Only if she were to witness the darkness that had been seeking her. 

Castiel watched as Rachel charged towards Cleopatra, blade poised in front of her as she surged upward to drive it into the other womans ribs. The Nephilim pivoted on her heel at the last moment, pinning Rachels arm tightly behind her back as she drove her own blade into her abdomen and slowly lowered her onto the concrete floor. 

He timidly reached outward to pull her into his embrace, a sigh of relief escaping his lips as she willingly came to him and kept her gaze locked with his own to prevent her sight from being damaged. It was in the moment that the light dissipated that Cleopatra tore herself away from him, concerned gaze flickering down to the seeping wound hidden beneath the fabric of his button up shirt. 

"It's merely a flesh wound." 

Cleopatra allowed her eyes to flicker downward to where Rachel's vessel lay, the imprint of wings now a depression in the concrete. "I don't think this is something that can be healed with a touch of the fingers, Castiel." She said quietly. "It's a condition of your heart. A heart that's in the right place.." His gaze softened as she lifted her hands to graze the stubble that lined his jaw. "But forgets the repercussions of its choices. Like having _me _be the one to kill your second in command." 

"I didn't make you kill her." 

The soft blue green eyes he was so accustomed to falling into turned hard at his remark, which was exactly the opposite of what he had wanted. Castiel swallowed as the tension thickened in the room, prompting Cleopatra to part even further from him and stand stiffly several feet away. 

"Yeah, you did." 

And before he could catch her, she disappeared - blew right past him, like dissipating smoke. Maybe that's what she was. _A dream he simply could not obtain._

*****

"_What the-" _

Both the Nephilim and the Angel appeared in the kitchen at the same time, gasping for breath after their altercation with the other angel. Castiel weakly crawled over to the refrigerator and hastily painted a banishing sigil in his own blood against the door to ward off any angels that would come for him after Rachels murder. 

"Hi Bobby." Cleopatra greeted, parting her hair from her eyes to wave at the bewildered man. "Sorry for the abrupt arrival, we were just busy." 

"Busy __with _what? _Running or fighting?" 

The two glanced at one another as she extended a hand, determined not to let her anger towards him seep through her expression with Dean and Sam knowing so little about the situation in its entirety. Castiel stood to his feet and ambled just close enough to her that Cleopatra could catch him as he fell unconscious, only to hear the barest whisper of, "_I'm sorry." _

"Running, apparently." She replied, winding her arms through his own to hold him upright. "Now, if you don't mind, I need you to help me hoist this ridiculously heavy angel onto the sofa so I can take care of him." After several moments of uncoordinated movement around the living room, the pair finally were able to lay Castiel down on the sofa and prop his head up with one of the throwpillows. "One of these days, I'm gonna cave and just get downright pissed when someone does something stupid."

"You think you can pull the boys back yourself?" Bobby asked as she knelt and brushed her hand over Cas' forehead. "Cause it don't look like he's up for it." The older man watched as she held her palm over his chest, grace freely flowing from her hand to heal the gaping wound inflicted to his sternum. "What did that do?" 

Castiel stirred upon feeling warm fingertips prodding at his chest, brushing over the expanse of smooth skin just beneath the lapel of his shirt as they finished the remaining buttons. Cobalt eyes fluttered open to meet the blue-greens mere inches from his own, irises softened with concern for his wellbeing as they scanned him for further injuries. There was nothing he wanted more in that moment then to steal the uncertainty from her in a searing kiss and reassure his Nephilim that no matter what happened, nothing would change how he felt about her. 

Opening the door to Purgatory was _for _her. To protect her and _Sam _and _Dean. _

_Family. _

"Not much." Lips turned upward in a smile as his eyes opened and strong hands curled around her shoulders as Castiel pulled himself upright. Cleopatra immediately steadied her stance and wrapped her fingers through his own, intertwining their hands together. "Stop this charade, Angel. Tell Bobby what happened." 

"I was betrayed. Rachel..." He swallowed the lingering truth on his tongue and opted to follow through on the deceit, hoping Bobby would fall for the false story. "Raphael corrupted her and she turned on me. Was a miracle Cleopatra stepped in when she did... She's the reason I'm still alive."

"I'm sorry. The girl's a real peach." 

"Bobby," Cleopatra interjected. "She's dead. I killed her." 

"Willingly?" 

Cleopatra stiffened at the question - Sam and Dean had told Bobby ages ago about the night they'd rescued the Novak family from their home in Pontiac and how she'd hesitated killing the demon after realizing it was occupying a _human _vessel. So much time had passed since then that killing didn't bother her nearly as much as it had then.. If it was for the greater good, it was necessary. Monsters were her target - Civilians were the people to protect. The ones who couldn't protect themselves. 

She ran her tongue over her teeth and managed a nod. 

"I was wounded, I needed safety. Thank you both." Castiel slowly stood to his feet and gasped at the pain that flooded his side. Evidently her grace had not healed quite deep enough to reach the celestial being encapsulated inside of the vessel. Both Cleopatra and Bobby stepped forward as he slowly sank back onto the couch at their demand. Cleopatra took her place beside him and extended the arm that held his name written in Enochian, followed by each of his individual fingers tracing the outlines of each letter. 

Strangely enough, it brought a calming sense of serenity over him. 

"What's with the finger painting?" 

"It's a warding symbol against angels. Also hides Nephilm from them. That and the branding on her ribs." Castiel turned his head to regard the woman at his side, who continued to remain silent as he absently traced the tattoo on her inner forearm. "I do feel a glass of water is a necessity. Would you be so kind-" 

"Stop with the niceties. Be back in a minute." 

It was only after Bobby vanished from sight that the Seraph fully turned to her and gripped her hands in his own. "I need to be brief. We don't have alot of time." She lifted her chin and glanced at him, expression confused as Castiel leaned in and rested his forehead against her own. "Rachel spoke of the thoughts she heard from you. I know you doubt me greatly right now, and I am well deserving of it. But please Cleopatra, this is the most crucial moment where I _need _you to hear what I'm saying." 

Cleopatra moved a fraction closer to Castiel, thigh now pressed against his as she adjusted her head just enough that her breath ghosted over the pliant form of his lips. "_I'm listening." _

And for the first time in days, she was. 

"Everything I'm doing is for you and the boys. For Bobby. I'm trying to _fix _Heaven. Saving it from Raphael is going to do exactly that." Castiel exhaled softly as she closed what little gap was left, fingers gravitating upward to tangle in his chestnut locks. It is impossible to kiss Castiel and not feel every emotion he conveys within it. Wandering hands slid over the swell of her hips, pulling Cleopatra as close as humanly possible just as he moved to deepen the kiss with a caress of his tongue against her own. If you were quiet enough, you could hear the sobs lingering in the back of his throat and taste the tears on his tongue. 

“I’ve never once doubted who you are, Cas.” Her voice lingered on a whisper as she was the first to pull away. “I’ve just doubted what you’re doing.” Trembling hands knotted in his hair, Castiel swallowed the lump budding in his throat as she leaned forward and pressed a whisper of a kiss to his furrowed brow before prying herself away from him just as Bobby entered the room with his glass of water. 

"Now, as you were saying." Bobby replied pointedly as Cleopatra assisted Cas in maneuvering the contents of his glass of water down his windpipe. It wasn't a necessity, merely just a means to steer Bobby from the room. "Hope that helped, because you have less then an hour until you and the missus pick up the kids from Frontierland." 

''I can't." 

Ice pinched the blood roaring through her veins as Cleopatra and Bobby simultaneously turned to the angel. "Come again?" 

"This fight, it drained me. Other then one thing that could rejuvenate my energy, the only way I'd be able to successfully pull Sam and Dean back from Frontierland is if Cleopatra was to do it herself. Time travel.. It expels alot of energy." Cobalt blues swept over her form as Castiel lifted his chin to meet her gaze, chin bobbing side to side at his own statement. "And that is not something I am willing to place upon her." 

"What would you need to rejuvenate your energy?" Bobby asked. 

"It's your soul." 

"What do you want me to do? Make another deal? Seal it with a kiss?" 

"I need you to let me touch it." 

Cleopatra held both hands outward at her sides as she stepped in between the two men. "That's not happening." She snapped. "Look, if you need some more energy to rejuvenate your state, combine your grace with mine. We've done it before when you healed my wings after Zachariah torched them. I'd rather you do that then impair Bobby. Dean and Sam would never let me hear the end of it if something was to go wrong." 

Bobby nodded in approval. "I agree with that idea." He held both hands in front of him and hastily pushed the two of them closer together, motioning to their hands with a bob of his head. "Get your angel on, 'Patra." Cleopatra exhaled softly and pressed her thigh against Castiels, palms radiating a soft gold as she hovered them over his own hands. 

''Are you ready?" 

Castiel lifted his head and took a moment to admire her. Here she was, the woman set apart just for him, willing to go against her better judgement after what she'd witnessed in the warehouse to heal him and together bring the Winchester brothers home. Pure humility in the face of her own rage. 

_How admirable. _

"As ready as I can be, Flower." Cleopatra gasped as Castiel gripped her hands and threw his head back, irises snapping open to reveal the bright blue of an angels grace, vessel quaking as it was barely able to contain the being within. The Seraph began murmuring in Enochian, an unknown tongue to most humans, as the grace began flowing from Cleopatras palms and into his vessel. The clock on the mantle continued counting down from one minute left to spare as a brilliant light filled the room, and before anyone could register what was happening, the two were ripped apart and Cleopatra was thrown backward into the kitchen. "Cleopatra!" 

The Nephilim held up two thumbs and let out a breathless laugh, which eventually filled the room with raucous laughter that happened to be one of the best sounds in the world. "I'm good!" She exclaimed giddily, lifting her head to meet the confused but defeated gaze of the older Winchester brother. "I don't know what just happened, but I'm good!" 

"Well, we aren't." Dean replied pensively as he poured the empty bottle, that of which was supposed to be filled with Phoenix ash, onto the floor. "You two gotta send us back." 

Sam gently shook his head as Cleopatra crawled over and settled herself in between Castiels legs. The grace transference had left her feeling extremely rejuvenated and more attentive to what was happening around her then she had been in a while, but the moment the brothers had returned, everything had come crashing down and now all she wanted to do was sleep. 

"Dean, look at them. They're beat." 

Their conversation was interrupted by a soft knock on the door to which Sam went to answer. After a moment of hushed talk, he reemerged from around the corner with a wooden crate labeled with his name across the top in haphazardly written cursive. 

Cleopatra turned and peered upward into the box as Sam pulled out a note written by Samuel Colt and a full bottle of Phoenix ash. Her joy replaced the dread of the inevitable confrontation where she would be forced to divulge what she had seen in the warehouse, and how Castiel had forced her to resort to murder to protect his precious secret. What that secret _was _exactly, she wasn't sure. But it had to do with Purgatory, Crowley, and Aeron Macleod. 

"Full bottle of Phoenix Ash." Deans voice pulled her from her trance. She roughly shook her head and stood to her feet, settling down in Castiels lap while wrapping her arms loosely around his neck. His lips quirked upward in a smile that he hid against the crest of her collarbone, laughter escaping on a relieved sigh as he held onto her rather tightly. "You know what this means?" 

"That we take the fight to her?" 

"_We're taking the fight to Eve." _


	43. Mother of All

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Team Free Will comes face to face with Eve. Castiel continues in digging himself a hole that almost so deep he can't see the light overtop of it.

** _Hunters Log_ **

_It's been a few days since Samuel Colt mailed the Phoenix Ash to Sam for us to kill Eve. While Dean and I are filling shotgun shells, the same question keeps running through my mind... who will be the one to kill her? How long is it going to take me to confess to Sam and Dean what Castiel has been hiding this entire time? _

_How long is it going to take me to find my strength?_

<><><><><><><><><>

"How're we doing, Dean?" 

Dean peered over his shoulder as Cleopatra came stumbling down the stairs, adorned in crisp leather jacket and faded jeans, black hair loosely pulled back into a ponytail that curled over her shoulder. He shouldn't have enjoyed the sight so much, but he did. 

"Five shell and counting, 'Patra." He replied. Cleopatra pursed her lips as she took a seat at the stool beside him, glancing over the five shotgun shells that were filled to the brim with Phoenix Ash. "More then we had last week, but I just had myself a little mishap." 

"What kind of mishap?" Sam interjected as he and Bobby descended the stairs into the basement. The three watched as Dean dipped his fingers into the Phoenix Ash, stunning Sam as he rubbed the harsh dirt on the inner part of his forearm. "Woah." 

"This stuff is supposed to burn the _beejezus _out of Eve." He deadpanned. "And it doesn't even give me sunburn!"

Cleopatra pressed her lips together as her phone vibrated in her back pocket, yet another text message from Aeron Macleod. He'd been keeping in contact with her since the warehouse, divulging anything he could find on Castiel and whatever his father was attempting to do in regards to Purgatory. 

It was getting increasingly difficult trying to hide his existence from Dean and Sam. 

"Hey boys, I'm gonna go outside. Clear my head for a minute. Pray to me if you need anything." Sam gave a short nod and wrapped his arm around her shoulder, pulling her into the curve of his body for a tight hug. A silent gesture between them -- a way to convey his thanks -- that she often reciprocated for his lack of touch. All Sam and Dean had known was tyrannical rule from their father, lack of unconditional love from their deceased mother, and the only thing she sought out to do on a daily basis was love them the way they desired to be loved. 

Sam wrapped his arm around the small of her back and burrowed his face into the crook of her neck, hot breath ghosting across her shoulder as he whispered a, "_Thank you." _against her skin. 

And then there was nothing except the cold. 

Her eyes snapped open to scan the terrain that spread out before her. While she had anticipated landing in the haven of Singer's Junkyard, this time her heart had brought her crashing into the same clearing where Castiel had given her his angel grace, contained within the metal of a pendant that mirrored his wings. 

_Why am I here?_

"You are here because you want something." Cleopatra snapped around at the sound of the voice, only to find there was nobody there. Every instinct she had obtained since adolescence shifted into higher gear as she surveyed the rolling slopes spread out before her and the treelines, though dotted with snow, on either side. "What do you _want?" _

"Power." The words flowed from her lips unintentionally as she frantically sought out the source of the voice. "Repentance. _Truth. _I want what every freakin' human on this Earth is _desperate _for!" Her voice wavered on the edge of what resembled a tormented scream as both her arms flew from her sides, heart thrumming erratically in her ears as she gripped the hilt of her angel blade with white knuckles. 

It came again on a whisper, and for a fraction of a second, Cleopatra swore she saw a flash of dark eyes in the haze that gathered before her. 

"What do you _want?" _

She ripped the pendant from her neck and held it outward with shaking fingers. "You want to know what I want?" Tears trailed down the reddening apples of her cheeks, leaving tracks behind in the pristine application of the makeup she'd put on earlier that morning. "I want Cas back. You know Castiel? The _one _angel who rescued a damned soul from Perdition and fell from Heaven to be with me. The angel who fell from grace to fall_ in love. _That's what I want." 

Her words echoed aimlessly in the silence. Cleopatra was completely oblivious as to who was listening in on her confession, but at least her heart was in the open now. She had spent far too long trying to hide how she felt about Castiel and their situation at hand. Far too much time internally submersed in her own pain. 

"I want _my _Castiel back." 

It was almost instantaneous when she heard Deans prayer and found herself wrapped up in a warm, muscled embrace within Bobby Singers basement. Dazed blue green eyes flickered between the three men before her until she turned her head a fraction further to the right and found herself stunned by the pair of captivating cobalts that stared back at her. 

"Hey sugar." Sam interjected, grinning widely as she jarred her head rather hard in hopes to fall from her stunned stupor. "We were just talking about locating Eve. Seems Cas here can't find her, which means you can't find her, so we found the perfect substitution." 

Dean motioned to the corner of the basement where a young brunette girl dressed in tattered clothing stood. Dirt caked her hair and skin, making her nearly indistinguishable from the average human being. She was unfamiliar to Cleopatra and Castiel, but the minute she saw Sam, she whipped around and bolted for the opposite side of the basement. 

"Who is she?" Cleopatra asked. "Friendly monster?"

"Lenore!" Sam exclaimed, hands held high in surrender. "Hey- _Wait. _We just wanna talk. That's Cas." Sam pointed at the Seraph before his eyes flickered to Cleopatra who stood beside him, lips pressed firmly together and eyes shut in quiet contemplation. "And Cleopatra. They're two of our closest friends. We just wanna talk to you about Eve." 

"I can _smell _the power on her." Lenore replied. Upon realizing who Sam had spoken of, she turned her attention away from examining the unknown woman beside her and back to the younger Winchester brother in utter indignation. "Wait, _Eve? _I have nothing nice to say about her. I'm trying to stay away from her, believe me."

"Where's your nest?" 

"Gone. I couldn't fight it anymore. It's her voice in our heads. What it _does _to us." The way Lenore described Eve reminded Cleopatra of an early college professor who thrived on 8 AM lectures and had a voice akin to what she had described as, "nails on a chalkboard." It had taken her years to cleanse her mind of the sound. "So they left and started killing again."

"And what about you?" 

Lenore snorted. "Don't look so impressed." She said. "I was hiding in a basement. Not exactly Club Med. You don't know how hard it is not to give in. Eventually everyone gives in." Cleopatras eyes snapped open to meet those of the other woman, who despite being a complete stranger seemed to know exactly the right thing to say. 

"So this psychic tool you've got going," Dean began. "Does that mean you know where Mom is camped out?" 

"You have to be kidding me. You want me to _tell _you where she is?" 

Cleopatra feigned the warmest smile she could muster. "If you would be so kind, yes." She replied. "Because if I have my way, Eve will be nothing but a smoldering pile of bone and ash by the time we're through with her." 

Mildly impressed by her boldness, Lenores brow furrowed in surprise before she slowly shifted back towards Dean. "Do you actually believe you can stop her? _All _of you?" 

"I have faith in us. All of us." 

"This so called faith of yours is about to be put to the rest, Miss Ma'am. I hope you're willing to die for it." Lenore sighed and tightly crossed her arms over her chest. "Grants Pass, Oregon. And now she knows you're coming." 

***

After she and Castiel flew the five of them to Grants Pass, they reconvened inside the nearest diner so Bobby could peruse the Internet for anything related to Eve. Cleopatra sat wedged between Castiel and Sam, hungrily gazing at the steaming cup of black coffee and the overeasy eggs she'd ordered nearly ten minutes ago and hadn't eaten yet. 

"Are you gonna eat those-" 

Dean yelped as Cleopatra swatted his hands away. "Excuse _you,_" She tutted. "I'm stuck between Gigantor and Wings over here and can barely move my arms to eat!" Raucous laughter erupted between the five of them as Sam moved a fraction of an inch to his left and Castiel nonchalantly lifted his arm to rest behind her head, granting her the room she needed. "Thanks for nothing, ya bunch of idjits." 

Bobby beamed with pride. "I definitely taught you well." 

Cleopatra shoveled a mouthful of eggs into her mouth as she listened to Bobby and Dean converse about the lack of anything remotely interesting pertaining to Grants Pass and whether or not Eve was actually in the vicinity, to which then Castiel volunteered to survey the area for her. 

While I mean survey, I mean that he _tried _and failed... epically. 

"Cas, sweetie.. We can still see you." 

The Seraphs eyes fluttered open, brow furrowed in concentration as he realized he was still seated beside his girlfriend and the Winchesters inside of the diner. "I know." He said. Dexterous fingers flexed anxiously against where they rested on the back of her head, threading gently through her hair. "I'm still here." 

"You don't have to wait on us." Dean replied. Castiel adjusted in his seat and closed his eyes. They waited for the familiar flutter of wings to signal his departure but instead found themselves greeted with his expression, lines creasing his forehead and brow furrowed in intense concentration, "And now it just looks like you're pooping." 

Cleopatra stifled laughter as she trailed her fingers across the stubble that had grown against his sharp jawline. "Oh, _cmon_-" She whined playfully. "Stop making fun of my man, you idiot. I think he looks _delicious." _

Despite the redness gathering across his cheeks from the embarrassment Cleopatra caused him, Castiel spoke, "Something is wrong." 

"Are you stuck?" 

"I'm blocked." Muddled cobalts snapped down to meet her own blue greens, the gears shifting away within his mind about how he'd be of any use without his power. "And if I'm blocked... That means you probably are too." Dean irritably threw him arms upward and smacked his thighs with his palms.. "Whatever it is, it's affecting both of us. We can only assume it's Eve." 

"So Mom's making you _both _limp?" 

Cleopatra held up her hand, palm lit bright gold as she hovered Deans fork in the air and turned the prongs away from herself and towards him. "Evidently _not._" Cleopatra replied, lips quivering upward as she fought her amusement. "I'm not fully an angel like Wings over here is. I should still be of _some _use."

"Well that does nothing for his case. Without his power, your boyfriend is basically just a baby in a trenchcoat!" Castiel rolled his eyes and turned away from the table, lowering his arm just enough that he was able to pull Cleopatra into his embrace. She sighed and leaned into him, wandering hands sneaking under his coat to wrap around the warmth of his narrow hips which trembled as her fingers danced along the seam of his pants to untuck his button up. 

She felt his breathing hitch when her fingers gently ghosted the strip of skin exposed by his shirt, eyes locking with his own as she recognized the dilation of his pupils and the quickening of his heartbeat caused by her ministrations. 

_Not here, Flower. _

Cleopatra frowned as his voice echoed in her mind. Her thoughts were still clouded with her desire to obtain the angel she'd met in Lawrence, not the one who had been keeping secrets and lying to her face for however many months it had been since Sam had come back from Hell. 

The lingering question of a kiss on the forefront of her mind, Cleopatra gasped as Dean reached across the table and waved his hand in front of her face. "Kid," He muttered. "You lovebirds have _got _to stop zoning out on us. We're gonna go check out this Doctor Silverman guy, called into the CDC last night with an illness he couldn't identify. I'm taking your boyfriend with me." 

"But-" 

"But nothing. I need you to be on your game here, Patra." He sympathetically patted the top of her head before dragging Castiel from the booth and out into the open, ignoring his futile attempt to coax Dean into taking Sam instead of him. "C'mon Cas, no she's _not _coming with us-" Sam and Bobby emerged from the diner not long after she did and motioned in the direction of Doctor Silvers house. 

They joined Dean and Castiel not long after finding Doctor Silverman missing from his home with no physical evidence that he'd been in previously, leaving his personal belongings and vehicle behind. "What now?" Cleopatra asked as she emerged from Sams car with him and Bobby. "Is this Ed Brights house?" 

"Lives here with his roommates." Dean replied. 

Castiel nonchalantly poked Deans shoulder and motioned to the house. "Does Ed Bright have a brother?" When Dean shook his head, he motioned to the first story window on the furthest right side where a man identical to Eds physical characteristics could be seen. "So that's not his twin." 

"Just like us to get the real freaky crap." Sam muttered. "Alright, you three stay here. If something comes out of that house, shoot it." Cleopatra nodded as Sam reached into the inner pocket of his coat and laid his weapon in her hands. She was mostly accustomed to relying on her powers for situations such as this, but with her partially out of commission and Castiel rendered almost entirely powerless, it was time to act upon what her father had taught her as a child. 

''I happen to be unpracticed with firearms." 

"Good. That means your girlfriend can protect you better." Dean interjected. "You know who whines? _Babies." _The Nephilim stifled laughter as the brothers parted from their side and retreated into the house to gather further information about Ed Bright and the mysterious illness plaguing the house he resided in. 

"I can protect you, Castiel." Cleopatra whispered in the midst of the silence as the Seraph turned to look at her through pointed blue eyes. He had been bred to lead, to serve and dutifully protect since his Creation, and had never felt more hopeless then in the moments where his powers were inhibited. 

"I don't think you can protect me from what's _coming_, sweetheart." 

Unwilling to drudge up further suspicion with Bobby in such close proximity, Cleopatra leaned against the car with her weapon hidden at the small of her back, eyes keenly peeled for the emergence of the Winchester brothers from the home before them. When they finally did appear, it was clear the answer they had been seeking wasn't within. 

"So it's not shifters." Bobby pointed out. "They run in families, and what we've got here looks like an infection. Nobody touched anything, did they?" 

Dean frowned. "Well, I'll be bathing in Purel tonight." 

"They said they met a girl."

Cleopatras brow knit together as she crossed her arms over her chest and focused her gaze on Sams shoes, gently chewing her bottom lip in between her teeth. There had to be a bigger picture here, a more dire consequence to this predicament that she simply wasn't _seeing-_

_"_It has to be Eve." Dean replied. "But why would she do this?"

"Mommy Monster." Cleopatra interjected. "Purpose is to make more, right?" 

"There's a point here. If Eve is going to make a shifter army, why would she make one that's sick, gooey and dying?" The five looked between one another as Bobby heaved a defeated sigh. It was simply just another question to add to the pile they had growing at their feet. 

"So I'm guessing she'll be at the bar?" 

***

Key word. _Guessing. _

Cleopatra snapped the doors of their hinges with a click of her fingers, jaw tightly set as she slowly entered the room with her blade poised in the air in the offchance there happened to be a threat from within. The bar looked like the events of a real life massacre. Debris scattered amongst the tables and floor, spilled drinks staining the finished wood under the feet of the patrons who lay dead before them. 

And the _smell-_

"You boys are lucky I'm an ex-detective." She muttered, lightly nudging the nearest body with the tip of her boot. "The Sheriff here seems to be a moron, because even somebody with an inkling of common sense would notice the fact that there's at _least _twenty or more missing people in here." 

Dean paused at the body nearest to the bar and snatched a utensil, using the instrument to pry her lips upward and examine her teeth. Surely enough, veiled by the blood that caked them, were vampire teeth. "Ladies and Gentleman, we have a vamp!" He called out confidently, only for his confusion to deepen when he lifted her arm and saw the signature of a wraith that protruded from her wrist. "Scratch that, we have a wraith." 

Cleopatras eyes glittered in amazement as she bound across the room to meet him. "Dude, what the _crap-_" She breathed in awe as Dean showed her the evidence he'd found, grimacing as he hastily threw the spoon as far from him as possible. "Oh boys, that's mighty fascinating!" 

"Right up your alley too, 'Patra." Bobby commented. "Cause whatever that thing is, it's definitely a hybrid of some sort." 

"Well boys, the question here-" She extended her hand and willed the nearest pool stick to her grasps, smirking as it flew across the room and settled in her hand. Sam snorted loudly as she thumbed for the nearest toothpick and poised it between her teeth, while simultaneously leaning her weight against the stick that lay against the table at her side. "Why on Earth would she need one of these anyway? What does she want with it? Oh, and also." Cleopatra pointed her toothpick at Dean. "Deano, you discovered the thing.. Name it." 

He replied almost instantaneously. "Jefferson Starships." 

"Oh look Sam, you owe me twenty bucks! He _is _the worlds biggest moron!" 

"Leave me alone, kid!" Dean whined as he reached outward and wrapped his arm around Cleopatras shoulders, grinning as she burst into laughter under the roughness of the noogie he then delivered. "It's because they're terrible and hard to kill." Cleopatra gazed at Sam who sighed, clearly embarrassed by his brothers antics, and waved the twenty dollar bill she was sure they'd use for drinks after the hunt had concluded. 

After the fact, the five of them spent quite some time attempting to make conclusions based off of the evidence given to them in the bar. How the patrons had died, why Eve had attacked that specific place. Cleopatra stiffened at the sound of approaching footsteps and wrenched Dean behind the bar just in time to be hidden from the local police, who then proceeded to take Bobby, Sam and Castiel into custody. 

"That, friend, was some smart thinking." Dean praised as he extended his fist for the ever-so-casual fist bump. When she skeptically rose an eyebrow at the gesture, the older Winchester guffawed and raised her own fist to strike his. "Kay, this is our new victory thing we do. We fist bump when we win. Got it?" 

"You are an actual child. You know that?" 

"But that's why you love me." 

Her gaze softened at the statement as she gently ruffled Deans hair beneath her fingers, reveling in the way the pair of emerald irises before her _gleamed _in her presence. As if she was one of his few reasons for breathing, for trudging out of bed every morning to end the threat against the rest of humanity.

"You bet I do, sunshine." 

***

Bobby was the one who volunteered to interrogate the Starship they'd taken into custody, leaving Sam and Dean to tend to any other threats that may have entered the Precinct in the time they had been there. Cleopatra and Castiel leaned against one another in the doorway, holding quiet conversation (telepathically, of course) as they watched the scene unfold before them. 

_I did not know a stomach could.. as you say, drop when I saw that Starship lunge at you, Flower. The defensive move you executed was flawless. _

Her lips quirked upward at the remark, clearly amused by his utter naivety of human vernacular. 

_My daddy always taught me how to protect myself, Cas. That was his mission before he died. _

Castiel looked upon her through his peripheral vision and allowed his hand to travel down his side, gently nudging her own that hung between them with the pads of his calloused fingers. She lifted her chin to meet his gaze, dark eyes veiled by thick lashes that accentuated the sharpness of his cheekbones - eyes flickering down to the temptation that was his mouth, tongue darting out to cracked the chapped flesh there. 

_And it is my mission to protect you now. _He laced their fingers together and drew his thumb over the back of her knuckles. _No matter how much you may insist you are not in need of it.. It would be the very end of my existence if something was to happen to you in my care. I would simply have no reason to keep moving. _

"Cleopatra!" 

The Nephilim stiffened at the urgency in Sams voice, the words _I love you _lingering on the tip of her tongue as she hastily kissed Castiels cheek before disappearing from the room in search of the Winchester brothers. She found them in the cell block desperately trying to pry open the steel door that prevented two young boys from escaping. 

Dean glanced over his shoulder, desperation clear in his eyes. "Boys, this is 'Patra." He introduced through gritted teeth. "Cleo, this is Doctor Silvers boys. You're gonna be the reason we get them out of this cell. Can you break the lock?" Cleopatra nodded and bound toward the brothers, examining the door before she locked eyes with the two boys. 

"Get back." 

It was at the same time the boys dove for the nearest wall that she blew the door off of its hinges, a haze of dust gathering in the air from the impact as it slammed into the back wall. Both Joe and Ryan coughed as Sam and Dean pried them from the cell and out into the room they'd come from.

"We've got a couple of hungry, human boys here." Dean called out. Joe peered at the older woman through curious eyes as she waved her hands and produced two bags of McDonalds from thin air and proceeded to hold them out to him. "Let's give 'em a few minutes, let 'em pig out on the food before we start asking the questions. See if they know anything." 

After assuring they'd been fed, Cleopatra sat down with Sam and Dean to question the boys. "So Joe, you guys didn't hear anything? _See _anything?" Cleopatra asked, absently twirling her angel blade between her fingers. "Maybe heard them talk about a mother, a woman named Eve?" 

Joe pursed his lips and lightly shook his head. "No. It was just Ryan and I in there." 

"And your folks?" 

"The cops said we were next." Joe continued, almost as if he had not heard Deans inquiry. "They said we were food." 

Cleopatra swallowed the bile threatening to rise in her throat and ran her hands over her face, suddenly finding herself precariously in need of suitable answers for their questions. "Do you have any other family?" Dean asked. 

"An uncle, in Meritt." 

At the mention of their last living kin and Deans insistence to transport them there, Castiel pried himself away from the pillar he had been leaning on to further utter his unwillingness about Dean and Sam parting from them to whisk the children away to safety. 

"Hold your water. We'll be back in a few." 

"_Dean_," Castiel repeated, this time much more firmly as if hoping that a tone that carried a tinge more irritation would clearly convey his side of the matter. "We need to find Eve. This is hundreds, if not thousands of lives we're talking here, not just two. Stay focused." 

Deans stupefying expression for Castiels lack of empathy spoke volumes. "You're, you're kidding me right? Telling me that _I _need to stay focused?" He ground his teeth together at the lack of comprehension exhibited in the angels eyes. There was nothing there.. It almost reminded him of the soldier he'd met in the barn. "What about you and Patra? The girl has gone crazy trying to figure out where you've been at for months-"

As he thought, Castiel deliberately ignored his question and chose to focus on the topic at hand. "There's a greater purpose here." 

"You know what, I'm getting a little sick and tired of the greater purposes." Dean spat. "I think what I'd like to do right now is save a couple of kids, if you don't mind. We'll catch up." Sam murmured a quiet farewell to the Nephilim that stood watching over her angel in the corner of the room, dropping a kiss to her brow as he and Dean departed from the Precinct entirely. 

It didn't take long for the anger to simmer in her bloodstream. After spending so much time trying to ignore her growing anger towards Castiel and finally feeling comfortable enough to allow the walls to fall, she was exhausted. Tired of the hiding, tired of the games, tired of not allowing herself to just _be _in his presence. 

"They won't take long." Bobby reassured as Castiel stood guarding the eastern window, shoulders stiffened with tension as he tried to evade the glare of his soulmate who had not once moved from her spot. It was easy enough to play a facade when there was people to perform for. But with the way her wings had unfurled in the midst of the empty room, white feathers hissing angrily as his own sought hers out, the Seraph thought it best not to approach her with his thoughts. 

"I'm not so sure. They might find more wayward orphans along the way." 

"Don't get cute now." 

"Oh, pardon me for highlighting their dangerous empathetic response with sarcasm." Castiel retorted. "We should have never let them go the way we did." 

"C'mon, you don't let Sam and Dean Winchester do squat. They do what they have to. Anyway," Bobby extended his hand and motioned Cleopatra over, prompting her to slip her cellphone, text unfinished, back into her pocket. "If we want Eve, we'll need coordinates. So we can stand her bellyaching, or we can go poke that pig until he squeals." 

The text message she'd been sent still burned in her memory. 

**Aeron Macleod**

**Eve located in Grants Pass diner - **

But the idiot had never _finished it. _

"I need five minutes alone with him. "

Dread settled in her stomach as fearful blue green eyes snapped upward to see that Castiel had removed his coat and had begun to roll up the sleeves of his button up that had been stained with blood. "Cas, your batteries are dead." Bobby replied. "It'd be better to let 'Patra do it." 

"Scrambling his memories works almost every time. I don't have a problem doing it-" 

The blood in her veins chilled when Castiel, clearly unwilling to let her intervene, blocked the entire doorway with his body and extended his arms to prevent her from entering. Granted, she could have simply teleported into the room - but the way he held himself there, feet firmly planted in the floor and eyes carrying a look that dared her to cross him, Cleopatra took a step backward. 

Her heart sank as he again repeated, "I need five minutes with him." 

Aeron finished his message just as Castiel emerged from the interrogation room. He repeated what Aeron had informed her of and wiped the blood from his hands with the cloth he held within his coat. Cleopatra took that moment to examine the state of him - his wings, though folded against the ridge of his spine, rustled with every move made by his vessel, and the darkness of his feathers seemed to shine brighter when she was in proximity of him. 

That had been _then_, though. When he wasn't who he'd become, when he had wholly devoted himself to her. Now his wings were a little bit more lackluster, and Castiel was just a little bit further into the shadows - and nearly out of her reach. 

**25 Buckley Street. Bring your blade and your power there, Poppet. Things might get messy. **

***

"You haven't said a word the entire way over here, Cleopatra." Sam nudged her hip to draw her attention to him as the five of them stood before the restaurant, weapons in hand, the duffel bag she'd drawn her gun from discarded within the back seat of the Impala. "Did something happen with Cas?" 

The younger Winchester brother owned her heart the first time she'd seen the vibrant sign of life within the depths of hazel that consumed his eyes, the way he _smiled _in the face of joy and how deeply he loved when given the opportunity. They had been off to a bad start when they'd met, but Cleopatra cared more about Sam Winchester then she cared about herself. And there was still so much more to see. 

But yet, for his own safety, she felt it best to feign ignorance and instead flash him the smile that always bolstered his confidence. 

"It's not important right now. What's important is that we end Eve, cause I'm getting too tired of this crap." 

"Kay, here's the plan. There's one way to draw her out, which is by Sam and I going in." Dean said. "We don't know who's human and who's not, and if we can't get a shot off, you three are all that's left." Sam handed over the spare duffel full of weapons and left the curb with his brother, leaving the trio remaining alone. 

Cleopatra moved further away from Castiel and knelt down at Bobbys side, solely focusing in on the thoughts of Dean and Sam as she probed her temple with two fingers in hopes of being able to hear their conversation. 

The expected sound of male baritone was not what she was greeted with, but instead that of a feminine voice who she could only assume was Eve. 

"_So I dusted off some of the old classics... I needed help." _

_"_ _With what?" Sam replied. "Tearing apart the planet?" _

_"You misunderstand me. I never wanted that, not at first. I liked our arrangement.. The natural order. My children turned a few of you, and you ended a few of them. I was happy." _

_"Okay, so what changed?" Dean questioned. _

Cleopatra pulled her lip between her teeth as her focus wavered, distracted by the feeling of someone, or something else, attempting to divert her attention elsewhere. Like she was eavesdropping on a conversation she wasn't meant to hear. 

"_My children, no thanks to you, started getting kidnapped and tortured. Even my firstborns. I was pushed into this! After all, a mother defends her children." _

Warm fingers wound around her shoulders and hoisted her upward to pull her away from the picture that had laid out before her - Sam and Dean seated at the bar in front of a woman that very clearly resembled their long deceased mother, who Eve had 'shifted' into in order to make a point. 

She whipped around and very nearly collided into Castiel, who recoiled as her wings fully unfurled and snapped outward to force him away from her. "What exactly do you think you're doing, Castiel?!" Cleopatra snarled. "I'm so tired of all this, all the _secrets-_" 

Eves voice seeped back into her mind just as the Seraph opened his mouth to reply, and everything suddenly fell into place. 

"_You? I'm not gonna kill you. It's Crowley I want dead. He's so very much alive, and I see his face through the eyes of every child he strings up and skins." _

The world jolted into forward motion at a speed she could not keep up with, feet propelling her forward as she finally unleashed the anger that had been buried deep within since Sams impromptu rescue from Hell. All that unbridled fury and no target to unleash it on, until the love of your life remains pinned beneath you and subjected to your every move. 

She beat her hands against him until her knuckles bruised, her throat was raw from screaming, and a satisfying crack of bone was heard from impact. Bobby stood idly by, too paralyzed from shock to move, until a shockwave emitted from the Seraphs vessel, powerful enough to throw both herself and the older man away from him. 

Stars danced in her vision as Cleopatra slowly lifted her head from where she lay further up the sidewalk, weakened by the blast and weary from her fit of rage, only to find Castiel standing above her with his hand extended.

There was no sympathy in his eyes. No concern for her wellbeing. _Nothing. _

Within the bar, Dean and Sam were finally beginning to comprehend their situation as Eve further explained to them the power behind the souls in Purgatory, most of which they'd gathered from extensive researching with Cleopatra. Eve spoke highly of her beta testing for the what she believed to be the turn of the human race, her own children brought to glory by being morphed into the creatures she'd created. 

The three of them were forcibly removed from the street, injuries otherwise overlooked as they were brought into the diner where Eve stood with Dean and Sam. She frowned, eyes feigning concern as they examined the state of the half breed and Seraph who stood before her. 

"Oh, you are _fascinating._" She breathed in awe. "I thought I felt that shockwave in here. Nephilims Rage.. brought upon by inexplicable anger, which I'm guessing was instigated by him." Eve jabbed a thumb at Castiel as she bent down slightly to meet Cleopatras eyes. "_Men_, am I right?" 

"Shove off, Mom." She retorted, wincing as pain seared through her wrists that remained tightly held within her captors grasps.

"Work for me. It's a good deal. Bonus? I won't kill your friends. But I might try a little harder with your half breed." Eve remarked. "We've only had a handful of those since the beginning of Creation, and they are utterly fascinating. If I don't kill her, I'll make a trophy out of her. What a prize to hold." 

"Not as long as I'm 'round, sister." Dean snapped. "We don't work with demons. We don't work with monsters. And if that means you have to kill us, then _kill us!" _Anger danced in the fire that consumed his eyes as the muscles in his jaw ticked against the sharpened bone, eyes dead set on the woman who stood before him. If Dean Winchesters anger mirrored her own, Cleopatra was sure he had something hidden up his sleeve that no one else knew about. 

Played the role until a window of opportunity arose. 

"Or I turn you, and you do what I want anyway." 

"Beat me with a wire hanger. The answer is still no." 

Eve lingered dangerously close to Deans neck, fingers wound around the fabric of his jacket as she whispered lowly in his ear. "Don't test me." Dean tilted his head back just enough, lips curled in a snarl as he spoke something she didn't quite hear, and then Eve sunk her teeth into his neck. 

"_Dean!" _

Eve recoiled almost immediately, hissing as she came into contact with the substance she thought that Dean had spread across his skin. Blood seeped through his fingers as he turned around to face Eve, who stood hunched over and clutching her chest as it radiated a bright light, illuminating the frame of her skeleton and the blood that dripped from her lip and stained the floor. 

"Phoenix Ash. A shell of that, a glass of whiskey down the hatch. It's a little musty on the afterburn." His eyes darkened as he bent down to meet her. "Call you later, Mom." Eves form shifted from Mary Winchester into the vessel she'd been occupying previously, pained whimpers escaping her lips as she helplessly clutched her chest, effects of the Phoenix ash settling into her bloodstream. 

It was almost like watching somebody sweat to death. Helpless to act, Eve kept her gaze on her ''children'' as she sharply inhaled the air around her, fingers wound around her neck as it became increasingly difficult to breathe. Her knees buckled and eyes rolled into her head, and she collapsed onto the floor with a _thunk. _

Just as the body collapsed on the floor, the other Jefferson Starships in the diner began stirring, prompting Cleopatra to lunge toward Castiel and link her hand with his own, the pair hip to hip as they extended their arms towards each end of the diner. "Shut your eyes!" 

The last thing she remembered from that hunt was the blinding light of her combined powers with Castiels, and the anger.. Would it even be correct to classify it as such? Knowing what he knew, deliberately hiding his actions with Purgatory from the knowledge of both herself and the Winchesters, lying multiple times to cover his tracks... 

Rage. Sorrow. Dread, Guilt for not doing anything to prevent it. Dread that gnaws away at who you are, leaving one in a constant state of paranoia for the unknown, for the things that simply have not happened yet. 

And so when they returned to the Impala later that night, unspoken goodbyes between herself and the Seraph after finding Ryan and Joe dead at their uncles house, Cleopatra threw herself into the back seat and rested her aching arms over the front of the bench that Dean and Sam occupied, and she told them about Aeron. Aeron and Crowley, the souls of Purgatory and Castiels involvement in obtaining them. Why he had been so... _not _Castiel as of recently. 

Better to confess the truth then to be weighed down with the burden.

"On top of Cas acting weirder then normal and lying to us through his teeth, which by the way, I'm not a hundred percent sure I believe."

"Dude, really. Why would I lie about something like that? I know Castiel. I adore him more then I care to admit.. He's my other half, and he's _fading _from me. Why would I lie about something like this?"

Dean threw his hands into the air exasperatedly. "I d'know, Cleopatra. I just can't quite get all of this at the same time. And now Crowley has a son who's a half breed like you, and he's been feeding you information about Cas and Purgatory this entire time?!" Dean exclaimed. "Why didn't you say anything?" 

Sam held a hand up to silence his brother as Cleopatra heaved a sigh and rested her head against the cool leather upholstery. "It's like this, Dean. I didn't tell you because I _couldn't_. What would you two think of me associating with the King of Hells son? What would Castiel think? I have enough on my shoulders with the death sentence from Heaven to worry about whether or not the Winchester brothers would abandon me at this kind of betrayal-" 

Sam was also the one to halt her impending ramble. "Not a betrayal, a _mistake._" He restated to mend her word choice in the previous sentence. "And besides, if Aeron proves to be a useful ally, we could need him for the future. We don't know what Cas has got himself into." The younger Winchester gazed at his brother questioningly before slowly exhaling through his nose. "Or what kind of consequences it'll hold." 

***

He stood silently among the corpses that lined the walls and booths of the vacant diner. The authorities had still not been made aware about the murder scene within, and so the diner was basked in a silence that made his stomach clench. Only hours before he had joined hands with the woman created for him, the woman he was supposed to be _devout _to, and now here he stood in the midst of his betrayal - Torso bruised from her fists, knuckles caked in dried blood with the electric scent of angelic power clinging to the air. 

"_Castiel," _Crowley drawled, accent smooth and accentuated as he appeared by the front door of the diner swathed in black garments, hands digging deep into the pockets of his coat. "Really, this is beginning to get ridiculous. How many times am I going to have to clean up your messes?" 


	44. The Man Who Would Be King | The Woman Who Knew Too Much

"_I should have known you were too good to be true." _

Nobody seems to notice the minuscule details about Castiel. How deeply he feels, how much he carries on his shoulders, how willing he is to make the sacrifices that the other people refrain from doing. There lies the problem -- He cares more about _others_, especially Cleopatra -- then his own life. 

Let's start with a single image. 

A forest clearing with newly fallen snow, vacant of life, a vibrant afternoon sun radiating warmth against the angel that sits hunched over on the stone bench by the stream. Pensive blue eyes gaze upon the callouses on his vessels hands, and for a single moment, he pictures what they looked like interlaced with the hands of the woman he held dearest to his heart. 

"You know, I've been here for a very long time. I remember many things. I remember being on a shoreline and watching a little gray fish heave itself up onto the beach, and an older brother saying, "_Don't step on that fish, Castiel. There are big plans for that fish." _His voice quiets, as if he's trying to remember the earliest details of Earths creation, reminiscing about the what was, and what had been, and what was coming. "I remember the Tower of Babel. All thirty seven feet of it, which I suppose was impressive at the time. And when it fell, they howled, "_Divine wrath!" _But come on, dried dung dung can only be stacked so high." 

"I remember Cain and Abel. Sodom and Gamorrah. And of course, I remember the most remarkable event." His heart constricts in his chest, for its always hardest to talk about the next thing that rolls to the forefront of his mind. "The day I was given a direct order to eliminate a perfectly innocent woman, the unholiest abomination according to the laws of Heaven. A Nephilim by the name of Cleopatra Carter, who I found watching a group of children in Lawrence, Kansas. And the minute I looked into the eyes of everything I was taught to abhor, to loathe with every fiber of my being.. I instead found myself falling in love with her, and it has turned out to be one of the most painful experiences of my existence. But also the most remarkable, because I simply thought that love was something humans thought they felt. And then.. when I found it hardest to part from her, that was when I realized that I could not love Cleopatra any more then I could stop breathing." 

"It was through that meeting that I encountered Dean Winchester, and with these two, we prevented an event that never came to pass. It was averted by two boys, an old drunk, a fallen angel, and a half breed. The grand story, and we ripped up the ending, and the rules, and destiny. This left nothing but freedom and choice, which is all well and good.. except, what if I've made the wrong choice? How am I supposed to know-"

Castiel paused in the midst of his sentence, aware that he was indeed rambling a bit more than intended. "I'm getting ahead of myself. Cleopatra says this is a tendency of mine. So let me tell you my story." He spares the clearing before him a deeply devastated glance, hoping, _praying_, that she might appear in front of him. That she will be the forgiver of all his sins. "_Let me tell you everything." _

******

Dean has urged her a thousand times to remain behind with Sam and Bobby as an extra pair of hands, in the off chance that something were to go wrong and Castiel would not be able to intervene. She unwillingly complied and moped around the Singer household for a few days after he'd left, thoughts solely on Castiel and how he'd prevented her from hearing the important details in Eve's conversation with the Winchester brothers. 

Her mind taunted her, jeered about her lack of confidence as she contemplated calling Aeron. Dean and Sam were extremely against the idea of any type of alliance with a Cambion, much less one who was Crowleys spawn and wished for her to overturn Heaven in order to embrace this darkness he claimed she craved. A darkness that centered around her grief of her father and brother, the loss she'd endured through Gabriel and the power that had to be contained from her conception. 

"You still around, 'Patra?" 

Cleopatras eyes snapped open as the couch cushion dipped beside her, signaling Sams presence as he extended his arm around the back of the sofa and urged her to lean into the warmth of his body. "I'm not going anywhere, Sam." She replied softly, sighing as he lowered his arm to curl it around her shoulder. The warm burn of the beer he'd obtained for her stung her throat as she sipped, basking in the silence of the house that was sure to be broken when Dean arrived. "And apparently, neither is this demon we captured. Bobby still working on him?" 

"Moved to the basement per your request, at least until Dean comes home." 

She slowly rose her free hand from where it rested against Sams knee and raised it, snickering amusingly as the near empty beer bottle floated across the room until it sat upon the mantle behind the desk. "Are you doing okay? I know this is alot. Me and Castiel, getting back your soul.. All the things happening with Purgatory, it's alot at once." 

Sam nodded as he sipped his drink. "Yeah well, our life is crap heap upon crap heap. I'm just glad we have each other to rely on." He peered at her through thick lashes, hazel eyes glistening in the moonlight as they ignored the shrieking of the demon held captive in the basement. "Honestly, I know we got off on the wrong foot, but I'm not sure where I'd be if you weren't here. Dean's not much of a talker when it comes to internal battles, and I've steered away from feeling threatened by you. You're... You're my _family._ After losing my Mom, that's not something I'm willing to let go of. Not again." 

"Good, because I'm not going anywhere." 

And so they sat, nestled together in the darkness of the living room, and waited for the imminent arrival of the oldest Winchester. 

***

[ Cas' POV]

_"Forgive me, but I believe we have a conflict of interest here." _

Crowley was right in this matter. My interests were conflicted, especially considering that I still saw myself as the guardian to Cleopatra and the Winchesters. They had been the ones to teach me how to stand up, what to stand for, and what typically happens to you when you do. 

I was done. I was _over. _But even then, the most extraordinary thing happened.

I was put back.

We had won. We had successfully stopped Armageddon, but at a terrible cost. It was only after gazing at the battered form of the Nephilim I'd spent so much time running from, evading my personal feelings about _her _and who we were meant to be, that I came to realize I had been put back together to live out a life alongside the woman destined to be my soulmate.

A soulmate who now, unfortunately, wanted absolutely nothing to do with me. 

Once again I went to harrow hell to free Sam from Lucifers Cage. Harrowing Sam from Lucifers Cage was nearly impossible, but I was so full of confidence, of _mission, _that I see now it was arrogance. Hubris, in fact. Because of course, I hadn't truly raised Sam. 

Not all of him. 

Sometimes we're lucky enough to be given a warning. This should've been mine. 

"Please," Crowley begged. "I'm begging you Castiel. Just kill the Winchesters. I like your girl, but she's a packaged deal along with the two of them. All three have to go." 

Just the very thought of running my blade through Cleopatras heart forced my vessels heart into erratic palpitations. Since the moment we had crossed paths I had done nothing but imagine her imminent demise, brought upon by my hands or that of Heaven and Hell. The utter chaos that lay in her wake, the blood that trails in rivulets down pale skin and the waver of her voice before I watch, helpless to act, as she is torn away from me. I feared her death enough as it was, but imagining it forced by my _own _hand was not a thought I could bear at that current moment. 

"_No. _If you kill them, I'll just bring them back again. _All _of them." 

"No you won't." Crowley retorted. "Not where I'll put them. And your Nephilim? My son happens to _adore _the girl. He'll snatch her right away from your pretty little fingers and mold her into what he believes to be the utter destruction of all the meat sacks in High Heaven.. A future queen fit for the throne of God." 

The statement about his offspring puzzled me. Not once in the time of our arrangement had Crowley even thought to mention he had a son, much less one who had been in contact with Cleopatra. Why had I not heard of him, or _from _him? Why did he insist on ruining the sanctity of the Heavenly Host by unleashing a vengeful Nephilim upon them? What part of that plan was actually sane? 

"I said no. Don't worry about them." 

"_Don't-_" Crowley gawked as he smacked his lips together, clearly frustrated by my utter lack of.. whatever it was. Was it negligence on the part of Cleopatra and the Winchesters? Did I underestimate just how _far _they were willing to go? "Don't worry about them? What, like Michael didn't worry? Or Lucifer? Or Azazel? Or Alistair? Or Lillith didn't worry?! Am I the only game piece on this board that doesn't underestimate those denim wrapped nightmares?!" 

"Just find Purgatory. If you don't, we will both die again and again until the end of time. Also, do not worry about the Winchesters. They will not find you."

"Let them come find me!" Crowley yelled. "I'll tear their friggin hearts out!" 

***

Cleopatra twirled the demon blade between her fingers as she swayed in the open doorway, eyes narrowed in on the conversation taking place before her. Bobby rocked on his haunches mere inches in front of the painted Devils Trap that occupied the greater majority of his study. It had been hours since her conversation with Sammy on the sofa, and after a few restful hours of sleep, she was craving the distraction with Dean still not having returned to Sioux Falls. 

"Look, Red." She interjected. "We can make this really easy here. Good cop, Mr Singer." A single finger motioned to the man that knelt on the floor. "Human, by the way. He's the one who'll go easy on you. And then there's me, Miss Carter. Bad cop, half breed. Or more specifically.. Nephilim." The man before her blanched at the flash of gold that illuminated the shadows before Cleopatra stepped out of them, blade still poised in her hand. "What's it gonna be?"

"I already told you," He jeered. "Read the papers, Redneck. The King is dead." 

Bobby laughed bitterly and flicked his wrist backward, clearly fed up with the antics of the hell spawn and willing to let Cleopatra intervene. The Nephilim complied willingly, propelling her arm downward at a force hard enough that the blade would lodge itself deep into the mans thigh. "_Long live the Queen._" She snarled, ignorant of his screams as strong fingers gripped the stained fabric of his shirt and forcefully pulled him forward to meet her. "Now _where _is Crowley?" 

"Up _yours-_" 

Sam stepped into the room just as Cleopatra stood to her feet, tightly gripping his hair with one hand while she pressed her palm against his forehead and emitted a light so bright that the being inside the vessel began to quiver from the force of her angelic power. He had seen Castiel do it multiple times - smiting demons was a speciality of celestials. 

"I am done being nice. It's time to get a little angry." She pulled away just before the demon could breath its last, stepping outside the Devils Trap and curling her fingers in a semi-circular motion. His eyes widened at the invisible force that seemed to have settled on his windpipe, restricting the ability to breathe and thus his ability to divulge what he knew about Crowley. "Now, _pet_, why don't you tell me where The King is hiding, and not only will I give you life - I'll also let you breathe this glorious thing we call air." 

Dean entered the house only to hear aggrieved screaming that centered from the study, stunned to find that Cleopatra was doing most of the interrogating on the demon they'd captured in hopes of finding Crowleys location. "Patra," Sam whispered lowly, drawing her from her reverie as Dean ushered the three of them into the kitchen. "So what did you find out?" 

That caught her attention. Allowing the thrum of adrenaline to quiet in her veins, Cleopatra exhaled deeply and reflexively flexed her fingers that lay limp at her sides. "Find out about what?" She asked, turning her gaze to Dean. "My fingers are itching to kill that son of a gun, so unless you want to tell me where you've been-" 

"I ran into your boyfriend a couple of hours back." Dean replied. "I didn't tell him anything, by the way. I told him we were on some crap monster hunt, nothing about how we were getting close to Crowley." Cleopatra frowned at the flicker of guilt that passed through his eyes, clearly over the lack of trust the four of them were putting into the Seraph. She too had been simmering in her own thoughts about Castiel since the altercation with Eve, and instead of immersing herself in the sadness of knowing she was to lose him, Cleopatra instead allowed herself to focus on the rage she felt when he came to mind. 

Her father had always taught her revenge was never the answer, but here.. It felt like it _was. _Revenge for blatantly lying to her all these months, keeping secrets and evading her every change he got.. Why would she not teach him a lesson for his wrongdoing? 

_"_He's our friend, and we are lying to him through our teeth." 

Cleopatra pulled her bottom lip between her teeth and allowed her hand to ghost over the fabric of Deans jacket, drawing his attention away from Bobby and over to her. Of the four of them, these two happened to have a deeper connection with Castiel, one having been rescued from Hell and the other created to love him, to cherish him, until the end of her days.

“Dean, Castiel means everything to me, and I have _never _known him to do anything without cause.” She spoke so assuredly, so full of confidence, that Dean nearly believed her. “But I’ve been watching his moves for months, and he’s definitely not acting like himself. I believe Castiel is a man of honor.. but this charade he’s been playing? It’s… _dishonorable.”_

_“_So what if he burned the wrong bag of bones? Crowley tricked him!” 

“Dean, he’s an _angel._” Bobby replied matter-of-factly. 

“He is the Bulky Bartokomous of angels! He can make a mistake.” Dean turned his attention back to Cleopatra, the only other person in the room who seemed to be teetering on the edge of disbelief of Castiels supposed actions, and falling prey to the truth that he was indeed in cahoots with Crowley. “Patra, you’ve been talking with that Cambion. Do you have _viable _proof that Cas is working with Crowley?” 

That caught her off guard. Even after all the incursions she’d had with Aeron, not once had she thought of obtaining substantial proof that would force both brothers into believing the reality of their situation: Castiel had betrayed them. 

“No Dean, I don’t.” She replied dryly through gritted teeth. “Because at the time, I wasn’t concerned about getting proof. I was more concerned about making sure my gut was _right _and that the angel I adore with my entire being is a stubborn jack-“ 

Bobby held his hands up to silence them. “I’m just saying, I don’t know. I hate myself for even thinking of it, but I really don’t know. I wanna believe he’s not for ‘Patra.” 

Cleopatra froze at the chill that swept through the air beside where she stood, bristling the hair on her arms as she solely focused on her surroundings and the unknown presence that seemed to be with them. If it was indeed Castiel, he’d put in a lot of effort to veil himself from not just the Winchesters, but from her as well. 

And that was when she heard it, on a gentle whisper just barely audible, 

“_Forgive me for my transgressions, Flower.” _

Her eyes hardened, her jaw tensed, and Cleopatra whipped around to face the bound demon before she pried the blade from his flesh and repeated the action, reveling in the way his screams echoed against the walls. 

***

So, they already suspected. And the hardest part was Dean, trying so hard to remain loyal with every instinct telling him otherwise. Perhaps the hardest part for me especially was being forced to watch Cleopatra release her pent up aggression, built up over the nearly thirty years of her existence, on the unfortunate demon in the room. And I remained helpless to do anything about it. 

If Bobby Singer had a demon counterpart, Ellsworth was it. These demons would lead the Winchesters to Crowley, and Crowley would tear their hearts out. I had no choice… I did it to protect the boys, to protect Cleopatra. Or maybe it was to protect myself…. I really don’t know anymore. 

***

It only took them ten minutes to realize that the entire building was _meticulous, _far too clean for the likes of the demons who had been believed to be occupying it. Cleopatra could not rein in her emotions - the anger, the raw nerves that seemed to be gnawing away at her the closer they got to Crowley and myself.

Lying… hiding… sweeping away evidence when my motives used to be so pure. 

After supposedly saving Sam, I returned to Heaven. Of course, there isn’t _one _Heaven, each soul has generated its own paradise. I favor the eternal Tuesday afternoon of an autistic man who drowned in a bathtub in 1953. 

“You’re alive.” Rachel gasped as the remaining angels that stood spread out behind her gathered around to hear the tale of how I had survived the wrath of Lucifer. “Castiel.. We saw Lucifer destroy you. Cleopatra could not even raise you from the dead.” 

“Well, I came back.” 

“But Lucifer? Michael?” She questioned. I had not spoken of my incursions with Lucifer and Michael in Stull Cemetery to most of the angels in my charge, much less anyone associated with the likes of Heaven. Most of them were not interested in what I had to say anymore.

“They’re gone.” 

“It was God, wasn’t it?”

At one point, I might have believed it was. I might have believed that my _Father_, the one who had created my soulmate, had good intentions and willingly resurrected me to fulfill that life I was supposed to live with her. But after millennia of nothing, much less a whisper of his existence, I had come to the conclusion that my faith was better based in Humanity then my Father. 

_Look at how far he’s fallen…. _

“No. It was the Winchesters. They brought down the Apocalypse.” 

It seemed that no matter what I said, the angels before me would only ever see my supposed victory against the Archangels. Not the fact that we had singlehandedly saved Earth and all its inhabitants from Armageddon. 

“But-“ Rachel interjected. “But you beat the _Archangels_. Castiel, God brought you back. He chose you Cas… He chose you to lead us.” 

I pondered that for a moment. If what she said were in fact true, why would God have brought me back to lead the angels? I was barely a decent man, not deserving of the woman I had grown to adore… How was_ I_ fit to lead the Heavenly Host? 

“No. No one leads us anymore! We’re all free to make our own choices and to choose our own fates.” 

Rachel gazed at the other angels with a rather confused expression, which I suppose her confusion was plausible given that angels were meant to follow and not to lead. “What does God want?” 

“God wants you to have _freedom._” 

“Well what does he want us to do with it?” 

If I had known then what I know now, I might’ve said, “_It’s simple. Freedom is a length of rope, and God wants you to hang yourself with it.” _

Those first weeks back in Heaven were surprisingly difficult. While my flesh, or as Cleopatra says, “_my heart,_” ached to be with her, I found that explaining freedom to angels was a bit like teaching poetry to fish. And then there was Raphael, one of the many opposed to the fact I had allowed a Nephilim to remain living on Earth, and how God had spared her for our future marriage. 

“You came. I appreciate the courage that takes.” He sat in a rather confident pose from the leather chair, dark eyes set on myself as I entered the room and sat across from him. I had only encountered Raphael a hand full of times, but being in his presence had always been incredibly intimidating. “Tomorrow I’ve called for a full assembly of the Holy Host. You’ll kneel before me and pledge allegiance to the flag. Alright?” 

“And what flag is that?” I questioned skeptically. 

“Me, Castiel. Allegiance to me.” 

“You’re joking right?” 

“Do I look like I’m joking?” 

Fun fact, Raphael never looks like he’s joking.

“You rebelled against God, Heaven and _me. _Not to mention your utter lack of disobedience when it came to that infernal Nephilim of yours we sent you to kill, and instead, you fall in love with her.” His brow furrowed, nose wrinkled and lips downturned in what I imagined was disgust. That was typically the type of reaction I gauged from people when it came to the subject at hand. “How pathetic. And for this, you will atone by freeing Michael and Lucifer from their Cage. Then we’ll get our show back on the road.” 

It gets harder to stand up when you’re constantly being trampled. 

“Raphael, _no_ \- The Apocalypse doesn’t have to be fought!” I argued, praying, _hoping _he see some sense in this ridiculous charade he continued to play.

“Of course it does. It’s God’s will.” 

“How can you say that?”

His following words hit me much harder then I anticipated — It was almost like someone had forcefully pressed the weight of a wrecking ball against my chest in hopes that it would damage my vessel. An act that leaves you breathless. 

“_Because it’s what I want.”_

_“_Well, the other angels wont let you.” 

“Are you sure?” Raphael asked. “You know better than anyone, Castiel. They’re soldiers. They weren’t meant for freedom, they’re built to follow.”

That was where I made my next mistake, thinking I could stand up to a tyrant such as Raphael and successfully win the war we were getting ready to face, brought upon by myself. Again my pride overthrew rational reasoning, and that was how Raphael managed to subdue me. 

"Then _I _won't let you." 

"_Really?" _He deadpanned, clearly not impressed by my action. "_You?" _

I found myself back in the Heaven of the autistic man, blood trailing in rivulets down the frame of my jaw and dripping into the dampened grass beneath my hands. I'm not ashamed to say that Raphael kicked me into next week. 

"Tomorrow you kneel, Castiel." A demand, not a statement, as I expected to receive it. I propped myself up on an elbow to gaze at the Archangels hardened features, and for a fraction of a second I wondered what the real purpose was here. To keep him from ruling Heaven? To bring glory and fame onto myself for defeating _three _Archangels, if I were to succeed? "Or you and everyone with you dies." 

***

"Hey." Sam called out, drawing the attention of the two hunters and the Nephilim standing in the main room of the house. "This place is clean, but it's like... way too clean. Kind of OCD for your average demon if you ask me." Cleopatras hand trailed down to the sheath she normally kept fastened at her thigh, fingers aimlessly trailing over the Enochian runes carved into the hilt. 

"Patra?" 

"Yeah?" 

Dean waved his hands in front of her face. "I'm trying to convince these two bozos that we need to call Cas for help, but they're not as willing as you and I, and God only knows he'd come much faster if you were the one who prayed to him." Desperate green eyes bore into her own as Cleopatra pulled her bottom lip between her teeth. "This is Cas. _Your _Cas... When we were stuck, and I mean really stuck, he broke ranks. He defied everything he's ever known to save _you_-" He jabbed a finger into Cleopatras chest and continued. "Dude may suck at feelings, but I've never doubted once how much he cares about you. Do we not owe him the benefit of the doubt, at least?" 

_This better be worthwhile. _

Hands clasped under her chin, the Nephilim paced the length of the room and began praying to Castiel. "Cas, sweetheart.. This is really important. Like... off the walls, knock you into Oblivion important. We really, _really _need to talk to you."

And after a moment of waiting, all four faces fell when they realized I would not come to them. Because if I did, I knew they'd have questions that I can't answer. Each time I stood idly by and watched their desperate search for Crowley and myself, I saw a shred of loyalty once held so devout die at my feet. My soulmate, my _Nephilim... _a defier of the odds, chaos wrapped in a body so pure, grew more resentful towards me. 

A sacrifice made on the foundations of an altar we'd barely begun building. 

"Cas is busy." Dean said quietly. 

"That's alright," Sam replied. "We are too. Come on." 

Upon turning towards the door, Sam and Cleopatra moved to meet the Impala, planning on retrieving another hunter demon to interrogate, until Crowleys lackeys seemingly appeared from nowhere and instigated a brawl between the hunters and the hellspawn, while Cleopatra stood by the door and waited for a window of opportunity to strike. 

He had sent his very best. I was caught as much by surprise as the rest of them. And it left me with yet another choice. I could reveal myself and smite the demons, due to be more effective with Cleopatra having reserved her powers for a more opportune time. Of course, Crowley wouldn't like it.. But they were my friends. 

Cleopatras eyes snapped upward at the blinding light that filled the room, alerting her of my presence as she threw the nearest demon off of Sam, tacking it to the ground and pinning it beneath her weight before pressing her palm against its forehead. 

For a brief moment, I was _me _again. And for a fraction of a second, I saw the affectionate gaze I'd so often received when we first met, and then it dissipated into hostile, cold eyes that seemed to look right past me. It was disheartening, to say the least. 

"It is good to see you Cas." Dean greeted as Cleopatra helped Sam to his feet, casually wrapping her arm around his waist as they reentered the main room. "Perfect timing. I knew you'd come when she called." Cleopatra feigned a smile and parted from Sam to meet me halfway, closing the space between our bodies to lay waste to the battlefield raging inside of my mind - a first kiss after so many months of being starved of it. It was almost akin to a starving man being gifted with a royal feast, or one who is dehydrated and saved by the mercy of water. 

Confident hands sank into dark tresses of hair and softly traced over sharp cheekbones and down reddening cheeks, slowly pulling away from our kiss to then outline the shape of the lips that belonged to Jimmy Novak - or maybe now they were mine. "I missed you, Angel." Cleopatra whispered, bright eyes lifting to meet my own in hopes there'd be something there -- a reason for my actions -- lingering somewhere in the depths. It seems my hands had a mind of their own as they sank into the undulating swell of her hips, hidden beneath the leather jacket she often wore. "Do you have any news for us?" 

"I do. I.. firmly believe that Crowley is alive." 

That clearly was not enough to convince her, because she then pulled away and began laughing disbelievingly. "_No. _Really? I hadn't noticed! Maybe it was his son, the _Cambion_, who tipped me off to that. Aeron is quite an ally, I'll have you know. Better than any ally you've ever been." 

When you're an Angel of the Lord, they never inform you of human emotion - simply choosing to program you with battle strategies, infinite knowledge on all the weapons at your disposal, and the enemies you are meant to defeat. You are programmed to follow from the day of your creation. 

They fail to tell you of how bitterness _kills. _

"Well Bobby," Dean interjected. "What do you think about Cas saving us, again?" Bobby Singer exhaled slowly through his nose, clearly realizing he had been wrong about something I was not aware of, and lifted his head to look at me directly.

"I think we owe you an apology." 

"Why?" 

"We've been hunting Crowley this whole time and keeping it from you." Sam replied. "We thought you were working with him." 

"You thought what?" I asked incredulously. "You know... You could have just asked me if I was working with Crowley." 

"I know. We never should've doubted you. I just hope you can forgive us." 

Wonders never cease. They trusted me again.. Everyone except Cleopatra. I could see just by looking at her that she too was playing a charade of naivety, believing that I had simply been accused under false pretense. I would not have been surprised if she did know of my intentions and what I had been searching for in the time we had been apart. 

Except this was all just another lie. 

"It is a little absurd though. Superman going to the dark side. I'm still.. I'm still just Castiel." My gaze flickered over to their silent guardian angel hiding in the shadows, wingspan extended across the room as she casually leaned against the wall and watched our conversation. "I'm still your angel." 

"And I'm still your Nephilim, you idiot." She replied cheekily. "I don't think I'll ever stop. But I guess we can put away the Kryptonite, right?" 

"Right." 

Of course I didn't realize it at the time, but it was all over right then... Just like that. 

***

After my conversation with Crowley, I asked myself what I was doing with this vermin. The problem was that I already knew the answer. Raphael was stronger than me, and I stood no chance in a straight fight. So I went to an old friend, someone I adored, for help. 

But in the midst of watching her laugh alongside Zion and her mother, I stopped. Thinking about everything she had sacrificed, everything _Dean _had sacrificed.. and I was about to ask her for more. And so I stood veiled from her sight in the midst of the treeline, unable to tear my gaze away from the smile I so rarely saw on her face as she laughed at something her mother had said over the coffee sat before them. 

"Ah, Castiel. Angel of Thursday.. Just not your day is it?" 

Perplexed as to how and why Crowley had found me here, I turned around to face him. "What are you doing here?" I asked. 

"I want to help you help me help ourselves." 

"Speak plain." 

"I want to discuss a simple business transaction, that's all." He spoke informatively.

Perhaps the most entertaining part of what he'd said was the fact he actually thought he could make a deal with an angel. "You want to make a deal? With _me?_" I replied incredulously. "I'm an _angel. _I don't have a soul."

"But that's it, isn't it? It's all of it. It's the _souls._" 

"What in the he** are you talking about?" 

"I'm taking about Raphaels head on a pike. I'm talking about happy endings for all of us with all possible entendres intended."

Unwilling to participate in his charade, I turned back around to face the Carter women and their new companion, another angel who had been brought into the family mere months before hand as Cleopatras fight coordinator. He'd taught her how to defend herself without her powers, and I was grateful to him for it. "I have no interest in talking with you." I replied. I brought my hand upward and waved it in the direction of the trio, producing a refilled cup of coffee for both women which Zion immediately took notice of. Blue eyes shot upward and he gave a curt nod, signaling his thanks for the gesture and to ensure me both Cleopatra and her mother were safe. 

"Why not? I'm very interesting." Crowley mused. "C'mon, hear me out. Five minutes, no obligations. I'll make it worth your while!"

I turned back around to gaze at the woman sitting at the picnic table. It was the first time I'd seen her smiling in quite some time. Joyful, safe, _alive... _Even after I'd left her behind with no communication other than the occasional response to a prayer, Cleopatra had acclimated to a civilian lifestyle and learned how to live without me. How naive I was to believe the thought of me was not lingering in the forefront of her mind. 

In regards to Crowley, I was no fool. I knew who he was and what he did, but I was smarter than him. Stronger. I see now that I was prideful, and in all likelihood... I was a fool. 

And after an impromptu visit to a newly improved Hell, I listened as he intricately weaved the details of this arrangement we still uphold - Dive into the chase of Purgatory's location and equally split the souls we were to take. I was to take fifty thousand souls from the Pit as incentive. 

_"You can save us, Castiel. God chose you to save us. And I think deep down that you know it." _

I wish I could say I was clean of pride in that moment. Or the next. I stood from trembling limbs and gathered my strength for when I banished Raphael from the Heaven he had been occupying. "There will be no Apocalypse." I bellowed, gathering the attention of the other angels who stood before me. "Let it be known. You're either with Raphael, or you're with me." 

And so went the long road of good intentions. The road that brought me here. 

***

[third person POV] - This is my _favorite _scene. 

_"The only way you reel in the fish is if you give it the bait." _

Dean swallowed thickly as he rocked back and forth on his heels, unnerved by the lack of Cleopatras presence as he and Sam readily prepared for Castiels arrival. She had since excused herself from the shack that the demons had been occupying previously, claiming she needed time to mentally prepare herself for what they were about to be doing. 

"Castiel," He spoke lowly, desperate to keep the wavering in his voice to a minimum. "We need you for a little powwow down here. So come on down.'' Almost immediately did he appear, perplexed as to why Dean had been the one to pray to him and why Cleopatra was not in the same room as the other three hunters. 

"Hello." He greeted. "You're still here?" 

"Yeah." Sam interjected. "And we had to bury the bodies." 

Confused blue eyes flickered through the width of the empty cabin. "Where is Cleo-" 

Dean raised the whiskey bottle they'd obtained in silent victory. "Not to mention that we found ourselves a little bottle of whiskey." He exclaimed joyfully, raising his glass to tap it against the rim of his brothers. "Thanks for coming." 

"How can I help?" 

Cleopatra lingered outside the closed door, dressed in an entirely new outfit and anxiously thumbing the lighter poised between her fingers. The angel blade sheathed against her thigh felt as if it continuously grew heavier the closer she came to revealing herself to the captured angel within. 

They had enough evidence against him now to _know _Castiel had been working against them the entire time. Between what she'd gathered about Purgatory and pieced together from Aerons intel, Cleopatra was sure that he was gunning to retrieve the souls in order to finally win his war against Raphael and regain control of Heaven. He had done it recklessly and without consideration of the consequences, but he had still done it. 

"It's you." 

The door slammed against the wall and nearly broke off its hinges as Cleopatra entered the shack and threw the lighter onto the ground, engulfing Castiel in a ring of holy fire. He remained paralyzed by the very sight of her - dressed in a simple teeshirt and faded jeans, but donning the expression of, simply put, an angry woman. 

"What are you doing?" 

Cleopatra dug her hands into her pockets. "I'm calling you out, _Castiel." _She snarled. "For everything. For the souls, for Purgatory, for every little white lie you've told since Sam jumped into the Cage. I'm _tired. _Tired of chasing after you." 

"Chasing after me?" Castiel replied frantically. "Talk about what? Let me go-" 

"About Superman." Dean interjected. He took several steps to the side and crossed his arms over his chest as he stood at Cleopatras side. It'd become rather clear to Castiel how Dean remained protective of his Nephilim, or rather how he portrayed his care for her. It had long since passed when he figured out the true nature of the older Winchesters feelings. "And Kryptonite." 

"How did you know what I said, Cas?" Bobby asked. "How long have you been watching us?" 

**(For those of you who don't imagine what this looks like, watch Jack force Michael into submission in 13x23) **After a moment of watching Cas' panicked gaze roam across the floor, Cleopatra stepped forward and raised a clenched fist into the air. "_Look _at them when they talk to you, Angel." She demanded. Castiel swallowed as his back arched per Cleopatras control, arms pinned at his sides as he slowly turned his head to look at Bobby and Sam. He was growing more and more fearful of her by the minute. "Tell them just what kind of a person you are. A spy." 

"Just wait-" Castiel, desperate to defend himself, begged. He just wanted them to see, wanted _her _to see reason.. To finally understand that everything he'd done since the Cage was for the betterment of the Winchesters. It was to keep them all _safe. _"I don't even know what you mean!" 

"What about this demon crap hole? Why is it so next to godliness clean in here?" 

"And how exactly did Crowley trick you with the wrong bones?" 

Cas' eyes snapped over to the woman who held him hostage within his own vessel. Nevermind the holy fire, he was trapped inside himself and at the mercy of an enraged half breed. "Cleopatra, _please. _I can't divulge the truth unless it is my own truth, from my own lips, and free of your control." Castiel inhaled sharply as the weight dissipated from his shoulders and he fell in a heap on the ground. "This is all difficult to understand. Please- If you let me go, I'll explain!" 

"Look me in the face." The anger of her tone wavered as Cleopatra stepped close enough to the holy fire to meet his eyes, oblivious to the flames that licked at her jeans as she stood eye to eye with the Seraph she'd come to love so intimately since that day they'd crossed paths in Lawrence. "I have tried to tell them again and again that you're working with Crowley, but Dean here is far too loyal to you and won't believe me. Level with him, with them - and tell them you're not working with Crowley. Reassure me that my _loyalty _to _you _is not misplaced!!" 

When he made no move to answer, everything fell to pieces. 

"Son of a gun." She whispered. After the realization hit that everything she'd learned was true, hot tears blurred the angel from her vision and forced her to look at her feet. "I knew it." The air in the room was deadly silent as Cleopatra lifted her chin, tears stains tracked down her cheeks as she gazed at Castiel with one single emotion lingering in sorrowful blue-green eyes - disappointment. 

"You two are in it together?" Dean asked. "You and Crowley were going after Purgatory _together?_" 

"I did it to protect you," Castiel justified his choices as rightly as he could. "I did it to protect all of you!" 

"Protect us how? By opening a hole into monster land?" Sam asked. "One drop got through, and it was Eve. Now you want to break down the entire damn?" 

Everything was spinning. His head, his heart was pounding erratically, and nevertheless, his eyes remained solely on her. "To get the souls." He replied. "I can stop Raphael! You just have to trust me!" 

"Trust you? Why should we trust you? Why should _I _trust you?!" Cleopatra yelled. All three men shivered at the resonance that vibrated against the walls of the house as the Nephilim surged forward, hand extended to pull Castiel as close to the edge of the holy fire as physically possible. He winced as she gripped the lapels of his coat, chest heaving as she hastily contemplated how to proceed. "You defied Heaven, Hell and everything in between to be with me. We taught you how to stand up. I showed you what _freedom _was when you finally accepted the fact that your Father, one you'd never met, created a soulmate for his favorite child. You accepted the fact that we would die together, God willing. That we would _live _together and that whether you like it or not, you'd fall in love with me." Bitter laughter broke past her lips. "And to think of how much I adore you... What a cruel, cruel dream." Cleopatra released her grip on his coat and stepped back into Dean. "I should have known you were too good to be true." 

He couldn't let his emotions, his _feelings _for her, cloud his judgement now. He would mourn her when he found a moment to be truly alone with himself and the guilt that festered within the wound that now occupied his heart. 

"I'm still me. I'm still your friend." He turned his attention to Sam. "Sam, I am the one who raised you from Perdition." 

Raised a soldier meant to follow, brought back a warrior born to lead. 

Raised a peacemaker, brought back a hellion. 

"No offense, but you did a pretty piss poor job of it." Sam replied crossly. "Wait.. Did you bring me back soulless on purpose?" 

Wearied expression fell into downright offense as he gazed at the younger Winchester, perturbed that he could ask such a question, let alone believe such a thing. "How could you think that?" 

"Well Cas, I'm thinking a lot of things right now."

Exasperated and low on patience, Castiel turned in multiple directions to regard the three hunters and the silenced Nephilim who stood before him. "Listen." He began. "Raphael will kill us all. He will kill Cleopatra and I both in order to prevent our courtship from beginning. He'll turn the world into a graveyard. I had no choice." 

"You had a choice." Dean argued. "You just made the wrong one." 

Cas lightly shook his head. "You don't understand. It's complicated." 

"No, it's really not. And you know that. Why else would you keep this whole thing a secret unless you knew it was wrong? When crap like this comes around, we deal with it! What we don't do is go out and make another deal with the Devil!" 

"It sounds so simple when you say it like that." Cas said softly. "Where were you when I needed to hear it?" 

"I was there. Where were you?" A flash of an image before him - that afternoon he'd been watching Cleopatra after checking in on Dean. "You should've come to Cleopatra for help, Cas. If not her, then the rest of us." 

"Maybe." Cleopatra stiffened as the wind began to whistle outside, emanating a high pitched frequency as it rattled the walls of the shack. "It's too late now." Dark tendrils of smoke curved through the air around the moon and straightened as it chose an approximate destination - the front door of the building they occupied. _Demons. _"I can't turn back now. I can't." 

"It's not too late, Angel." Dean moved to grip Cleopatras hand as she moved forward in a surge of compassion for the Seraph, desperate to bring him to his senses and have him return home with her. "Forgiveness is a process, and I can't think of a better solution to our problem. I'm always going to _forgive _your transgression, Castiel-" 

His own words to her echoed against his skull. _Forgive me my transgressions, Flower. _

"We can fix this!" 

"Cleopatra, it's not broken!" He yelled. Dean gripped her hand tightly in his as Sam and Bobby fled the house and shot straight for the Impala. "Dean, take her and run. You have to run _now._" One last look passed between the pair, a silent understanding, before he whispered into her mind as they disappeared from his sight. _Olani Hoath Ol. _

She just wanted to know what it meant. 

***

An uneasy car ride found her curled up in the back seat of the Impala, all will to live sapped and heart desperately yearning for the tender touch of a renegade angel. Dean and Sam tended to her, resting her on the sofa and propping her head up with one of the limp pillow that occupied it. 

Nothing was comfortable. The couch was to lumpy, the blanket rough against her skin, and she couldn't blink away the guilt that he hid so well in the depths of penetrating cobalt irises. It wasn't until Cleopatra heard the flutter of wings that she opened her eyes to gaze at the form that stood beside her. 

Even after supposedly angel proofing nearly the entire house, the son of a gun had _still _somehow made it inside. 

"Hello Flower." 

Cleopatra wiped the sleep from her eyes and sat up at the waist. "How," She replied wearily, yawning in the midst of her sentence. "How did you get in here?" 

"The angel proofing that Bobby put up, he got a few things wrong." He watched as she retrieved the folded trench coat, a gift from his alter ego she'd informed him about after being sent to the alternate universe, and wrapped it around her shoulders. 

"It's kind of sad that we have to put it up at all, Castiel." She whispered. "Why are you here?" Castiel cleared his throat and extended his hand, silently praying she'd not be so hard headed for thirty seconds and grant him his wish. To his disbelief, she wrapped her fingers through his own and allowed him to pull her to her feet. What she hadn't expected, however, was that he'd wrap his entire arm around the small of her back and pull her flush against him.

"I want you to understand." He murmured hoarsely, hot breath ghosting over the bare skin of her shoulder. Her breathing hitched inside her chest as he pushed unkempt strands of hair behind her shoulder and slowly began laying siege to the delicate curve of her neck, reveling in the way she trembled beneath his ministrations. 

"I already got it." She breathed as she tightly gripped the fabric of his coat. "Raphael, right?" 

"That's part of it." He replied. Moving northward to her lips, Castiel framed his hands against the curve of her jaw and slowly brought his forehead to rest upon her own. "I'm doing this for _you, _Cleo. I'm doing this because of you. You and the brothers are the ones who taught me that freedom and free will-" 

"Dean would call you a child. I'm half inclined to do the same." He remained silent as she traced the outline of his lips and slowly allowed her hands to trail upward and tangle in thick, dark tresses of hair. "Just because you can do what you want doesn't mean you get to do whatever you want!" 

"I know what I'm doing, Cleopatra."

"I'm not going to logic you, Cas. I'm saying _don't_, just because. I'm asking for, for _us_, for them. I'm asking you not to. That's it!" 

His lips turned downward in confusion. "I-I don't understand-" He stuttered. "Wha-" 

"Look. Next to Sam and Dean and my own mother, you are the _closest _thing I have to family. I'm going to have the honor of calling you husband someday. I want to be able to say that to you. You are.. You are and will always be the-" The phrase "_Love of my life" _lingered on her tongue, but she refrained from saying such. _"_One person for me. So if I'm asking you to do something, you have to trust me." 

"Or what?" 

The hope swelling in her veins immediately deflated at his words, and she pride herself away from his body entirely with a downfallen expression, hands fidgeting as she fought for a place to tuck them. "Or I'll have to do what I have to do to stop you." 

"You can't, Cleopatra. You might be a Nephilim, but you aren't as powerful as they've lead you to believe." Cleopatra snickered quietly under her breath and shook her head. 

"Do you _want _to see the abomination I've tried so hard to hide from you?" She seethed, gold eyes flashing in the darkness of the study. "Because with how hard you're trying to push me away, you're getting closer and closer to doing exactly that." 

Castiel was quiet for a moment. "I'm sorry sweetheart." 

"Well I'm sorry too then." And with a flutter of wings he disappeared, leaving Cleopatra alone in the vacant study of the Singer household - Loyalty shredded and heart broken, she sank to her knees and wept for all she had lost. 

***

[Cas' pov] 

So.. that's everything. I believe it's what you'd call a tragedy from the human perspective. But.. maybe the human perspective is limited, I don't know. That's why I'm asking you Father, one last time. Am I doing the right thing? Am I on the right path? You have to tell me.. You have to give me a sign. Because if you don't.. I'm gonna- I'm gonna do whatever I must. 


	45. The Man Who Knew Too Much | The Woman Who Lost Enough

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Godstiel has come into the world, and he's intent on wreaking havoc.

I think the hardest part of losing someone isn't having to say goodbye,

But learning how to live life without them. 

Always trying to fill the void,

The emptiness that's left inside your heart when they go. 

\- sd.

<><><><><><><><><><>

"Where is she?" 

Bobby merely shrugged his shoulders as the four of them traveled down the alleyway in search of Doctor Visyak- an old friend of Bobbys who supposedly held the answers to what Castiel and Crowley were after in regards to cracking open the doors of Purgatory. "She said to meet her here," Bobby replied. "I'll try her again." 

A ringing cellphone echoed further down the alley. They followed it to its source and found El, leaning limp against the wall and covered in her own blood. "Hey," She greeted weakly. "Guess I could've used your help after all." 

Since they returned home from searching for the doctor that Bobby had told them about, Cleopatra had been in the panic room watching over Sams body. She could not fathom what had gotten into Castiel that would prompt him into obliterating the wall that Death had put into Sams head to obstruct his memories of Lucifer and the Cage. Whatever he'd done had worked, because now all she could reach in the corners of Sams mind was hellfire and darkness. 

"I'm sorry this had to happen." 

The familiar flutter of descending wings turned Cleopatra around, gaze hardening as she locked eyes with Castiel. Despite their affectionate nature in the darkened study of Bobbys home only days before, there remained nothing to be seen in his eyes except determination to fulfill the mission he'd been given. And in her own, nothing but anger and a desire to tear him apart. "No, you aren't." She snapped in reply. "You're perfectly fine with it as long as it gets you what you want." 

"You really don't see it, do you?" Dean questioned. "How totally off the rails you are!" 

"Enough!" Castiel boomed. "I don't care what you think. I've tried to make you understand, and you won't listen. Let me make this simple. Go home and let me stop Raphael. I won't ask again." 

Castiel swallowed the knot growing in his throat as Cleopatra separated the three men, removing her angel blade from its sheath as she did so, and twirled it in her fingers much closer to him than comfortable. Just the tip of the blade brushing against his skin sent shivers down his spine. "You know, I'm really hoping the day doesn't come where I show you just how abominable I can be and shove this thing right through your heart." She spoke so calmly, as if the thought of killing him brought her no discomfort, no anguish, no real pain. "Cause I'm getting real close." 

"I wish it hadn't come to this." He said, wrapping his hands around the hilt and pointing it downward, slowly easing it back into the sheath wrapped around her thigh without so much as an argument from her. "I wish things didn't have to be this way. Rest assured, when this is all over, I will save Sam. But only if you stand down." 

She wished she had anticipated his move faster. Her body always reacted to his proximity, embracing instead of fleeing from him, and her distraction had been the open window for Castiel to break the wall. A pitiful example on her part - She had done nothing but attempt to save Sam from himself and his demons since the day they had met, taking to whispered conversations in motel rooms and stories exchanged over the rims of beer bottles. He'd opened up to her with ease and shared the darkest parts of himself. 

The least she could do was watch over him. 

"Hey Sammy, I don't know if you can hear me." She whispered, head bowed to veil her solemn expression as she spoke to him. Dean had since gone upstairs to retrieve a new bottle of whiskey, her only remedy for the ache in her heart at the given moment. "But I want to make you a promise, right here and now. Whatever Castiel did will be rectified. I will make sure of it. And in regards to the chaos that is your mind, I will be here to ease your pain." A soft gold light emitted from Cleopatras palms as she placed them on either side of his head, and his body visibly relaxed as she slowly pried her way into the chaos that was his mind. "Forever." 

He saw her in a flash of gold through the trees when he ran away from the stronger, colder, more violent version of himself. She'd taken him out with ease, choosing to rely on her angelic ability rather than the firearms that Sam preferred to carry. She was graceful - long, agile legs easily maneuvering through the forest, hands clean of blood as she simply lifted them and rotated counterclockwise. A sickening crack of vertebrae echoed in the air as his other self, the soulless Sam, fell dead on the forest floor. 

"W-Who are you?" He asked, a bit timid in his approach as the stranger turned to face him. Bright gold eyes greeted him in reply - and for a moment, a flurry of memories that spanned over the past few years burst into his mind. A girl with dark hair, romantic eyes that burned brightly in the darkness that surrounded him, stepping into a barn behind a man with identical features. Outlines of wings. Ebullient laughter echoing against thin motel walls. The scent of lavender. "Cleopatra?" 

"Hiya Sammy." Cleopatra greeted. "You're nearly there. It's almost time to wake up." 

Cleopatra gasped as she was wrenched from the inside of Sams mind by Deans hands wrapped around her shoulders as he roughly shook her from her stupor. Seemed to be that he was unaware of her intentions. "Cleopatra!" He exclaimed, frantically flailing his arms as she gazed at him, clearly dazed by whatever she had seen inside of Sams mind. "Mind telling me what you're doing? Sammy's body... He was glowing!" 

"Angels read minds, you dunce. I just happen to have the ability to look inside. It's something my angel taught me how to do." The name Cas tastes like poison on her tongue, and so she refrains from speaking his name. "He's trying to get out, but in order to do that... He has to pieces himself back together."

"Piece himself-" 

"Or more specifically, reassemble the part of himself that remembers it. Hell, The Cage.. Everything. It's a lot of hellfire and darkness, and the screaming-" A shiver ran down her spine at the sound that aimlessly rang against the inside of her skull. "Gods, Dean. I don't know if I've ever heard someone scream so much." 

"Sorry to intrude," Bobby interjected, drawing their attention to the door of the panic room. "But we've got ourselves a visitor." Cleopatra brightened as Balthazar peered around the hunter, eyes gleaming at the sight of the Nephilim perched on the end of the bed. "He's very keen on saying hello to everyone's favorite Nephilim." 

"Correct, my favorite Nephilim." Balthazar argued. "Not to mention the real reason why I'm here, which literally goes against all the second thoughts I was having earlier. I really didn't want to help you, y'know. I was thinking maybe, maybe, I should rip out your sticky bits instead." 

"And what did you decide?" 

He handed a slip of paper with an address on it to Dean. "Cas and Crowley are there. That's where the show gets started." 

"Well then, give us a minute to pack up, then you and Patra can zap us there." Cleopatra smoothed the hair away from Sams forehead and laid a gentle kiss on his brow, whispering a promise of return before she stepped away from his bedside and left the panic room to join the men outside it. 

"Um... no no no, thank you." 

"Balthazar-" 

"I'm betraying a friend here. A very powerful friend. We all are." He pointed an accusatory finger at Cleopatra, now wedged between Dean and Bobby. "He's especially not happy with himself for leaving you behind, I'll have you know. I happen to like you enough to stick my neck out this far, but that's the farthest I'm going to go. Can't risk Cassie lashing out because I helped his soulmate." 

"Thank you, Balthazar. Truly." She leaned upward and kissed his cheek. Balthazar reddened at the unexpected contact and disappeared with a snap of his wings. "Now, why don't we go grab ourselves an angel and his equally irritating partner, The King of Hell?" 

***

Even in the midst of preparations to open the door to Purgatory, Castiel could not shake that nagging feeling in the back of his mind about the Cambion that Cleopatra had informed him about. Aeron Macleod, Crowleys son, and the only reason she had known anything about what he'd been doing. 

"Your Purgatory power shake, monsieur." He laid the bottle of blood in Castiels lap and dug his hands into his pockets, facing the wall that the sigil was soon to be painted on. "Half monster, half virgin." 

"Thank you." He turned the bottle over in his hands and caught sight of his reflection in the glass - the brooding, pensive look he'd been wearing since leaving Cleopatra alone with the Winchesters after breaking the wall inside of Sams head. He'd known upon doing it that it was a rash decision, especially with all that Sam had endured in the Cage. He wouldn't have been surprised if she did put that angel blade through his heart after all he'd made her endure. It was what he deserved. "I need to ask you something." 

"Seeing as you seem more constipated then usual, I'm more then happy to oblige." 

Castiel stood to his feet and laid the jar on the table. "I want to meet your son, Aeron. The revered Cambion of Hell." Crowley smiled smugly, impressed that it had taken this long for Cleopatra to confess her relationship with his son. "According to Cleopatra, he seems to be quite taken with her, and up until yesterday I had no idea he existed. You lied to me." 

"I didn't lie. You simply never asked me about it." 

Before Castiel could reply, a cold air swept through the room, bristling the hairs on his arms at the presence of a new threat in the vicinity. Cold blue eyes swept along the open space until they rested upon a blazing pair of red irises that lingered in the shadows, followed by 6'3 inches of dark and mysterious male, complete with pressed black suit. "Ah, now there he is." Aeron called out. "Castiel. The soulmate to Cleopatra Carter, the angel without a home. How nice to finally make your acquaintance." 

"You. You are the one coaxing her into succumbing to the powers she has spent her entire life concealing." Castiel accused. "What would be the purpose in that? To destroy her?" 

Aeron clucked his tongue. "No, no. Why would I want to destroy her, Castiel? Your Nephilim... She is a goddess amongst men. I am simply attempting to persuade her into this power I know she's been seeking. Because the only way she can protect you is if she embraces it and obliterates those heavenly idiots on their high horses." 

"Why would she want to protect me? It's supposed to be my... my duty to protect her." 

Based off the indignant look he received from Aeron, Castiel believed there was more to the picture that he simply had yet to see. "You are as naive as you look, Seraph. Tata." Aeron dipped his head and gave a low bow before he snapped his fingers and disappeared in a haze of smoke. Castiel furrowed his brow and turned back around to Crowley who was desperately trying to contain the smug smirk that threatened to upturn his lips. 

"He is... infuriating. Not to mention dark and mysterious." Castiel said. "Back to the topic at hand, I have decided that I will be renegotiating our terms." Crowleys eyebrows rose upward in surprise at the sudden change of terms, which he had been anticipating when Aeron had finally announced that he was willing to make his presence known. Willing to let himself be the threat. 

"Really?" Crowley replied. "Which is?" 

"You get nothing. Not one single soul." 

"I can't help noticing that it seems a bit unfairly weighted." He slipped his hands into the pocket of his suit and began rocking back and forth on his heels. "Castiel, you wouldn't dare- I was the one who brought you this deal!"

"You think I would give all that power to the King of Hell?" Cas deadpanned. "I'm neither stupid nor wicked." 

"Unbelievable. Have you forgotten that you're the bottom in this relationship?" 

"You have two options." His voice dropped several octaves, rumbling in his chest as cold blue eyes narrowed in on the demon before him. That was one of the few times that Crowley really felt it appropriate to recoil before the Angel of The Lord - the Seraph hardwired to obliterate his kind for the rest of eternity. He'd just had to pick Castiel for this deal. The only angel with a crack in his chest and a malfunction in his hardwiring. "You either flee, or you die." 

"I don't even break contacts like this!" 

"Flee." He repeated. "Or die." 

And as Castiel expected, Crowley chose the safer route and fled, leaving him alone in a vacant room, mid-preparation to crack the doors to Purgatory wide open and siphon the souls of the inhabitants into his vessel. 

***

It took a lot of willpower and strength for Dean to finally part from Sam, who still had yet to be woken from his comatose state in the panic room. Cleopatra chose to load the Impala with the weapons they'd stowed away, hoping the familiarity of it would be a welcome distraction from what would inevitably happen when she came across Castiel. 

It was at the halfway point of their drive to Kansas when she felt it - the agonizing scream of another angel, an angel she'd come to care for, ringing painfully against her skull. She saw the flash of light, heard the blade piercing flesh and promptly being removed, slick with blood. By the time Dean and Bobby had pulled over, Cleopatra was hunched over in the back seat and rocking back and forth on her heels, tears streaking down her face. 

"I can't-I can't-" Her breath caught in her chest as the Impalas door began to blur, and her head began to spin, fingers trembling as she desperately attempted to find an anchor - something to hold on to. "He's gonna kill everyone I love... maybe even himself.. Oh Gods..." Tears slipped over the crease of her lips as she parted her hair from her face and lifted her eyes to meet Deans. "He killed Balthazar." 

"Hey kid." His voice was soft as he leaned over the seat to cup her face in his hands. Bobby was already standing watch outside the Impala, eyes intently peeled for any sign of angelic or demonic influences in the building before them. "C'mon now, you-you're the strongest person I know besides Sammy. So much stronger then me... that's a fact." 

Dean Winchester, always praising others before himself. "Dean-" 

"I need you to... I need you to stow your crap. Just for a little while. And then when this is all over, you can break down. No matter what the outcome is." He lifted her chin with his index finger just enough that she could see the shining greens of his eyes even in the dim lighting. "Cause there's never been a time where we need you more than right now. You might be the only person that'll get through to him." 

Swallowing the emotion that threatened to burst at the thought of approaching Castiel, Cleopatra square her jaw and wiped the remains of tears away from the apples of her cheeks. Chuck had warned her about this months ago - about the trials the two of them were to face. And if she was preparing to lose Castiel to whatever lie beyond Purgatorys gates, she had to be ready to lose him. 

"I don't even know if my Cas is still in there, Dean." Cleopatra said quietly. "But because you asked me to, I'll do it. For you. For my mom. For... For Sammy." 

Dean's never been prouder to know her then that minute they rush back into the Impala to take shelter from the demons Crowley had sent after them. Everything inside of him froze as she rolled... once, twice, until skidding to stop a hundred feet from where they'd been standing previously. He heard Cleopatra panting from the back seat and felt just the slightest breeze against his face as they slowly began to rouse. At the time Dean had assumed it was from a busted window, but he was unaware of the presence of divine angel wings that had encompassed both him and Bobby from the inside of the car. 

It's hard not to give into the fear once they enter the building. There was a certain point in time where she was petrified of losing Castiel after all he'd done for her, after altering the course of her life with their introduction in Lawrence. But now, after all they'd been through, Cleopatra came to a realization that loss was inevitable. Sam had jumped into the Cage... but he'd come back. She'd lost her father and brother, had lost Gabriel to the Apocalypse. Dean had told her about his excursion to Hell, even if only briefly, but he had come back too. 

She wasn't sure if Castiel could come back from something like this. 

"Please Father," She pleaded, eyes screwed tightly shut as she followed behind Dean and Bobby deeper into the warehouse. "Give me this. Give me him... Like you promised, give me Castiel. I can't take losing someone else." And even after she prayed, not an inkling of confidence swelled within her that her prayer had been heard - but rather doubt that no one would be watching out for the renegade Seraphim this time. 

Crowley was definitely one of the two figures in the room that they'd entered where Balthazar claimed the spell was set to take place. The other figure, however, was foreign to the three of them, and Castiel was nowhere to be seen. Feeling confident in his aim, Dean threw his angel blade from the top of the stairs directly at the woman - who then caught it in her hand with ease. 

She glanced at them over her shoulder and bobbed her head, sending Dean over the railing and Bobby tumbling down the stairs. "Bit busy gentleman." Crowley called. "I'll be with you in a moment." The mysterious woman turned around and dropped the blade, extending her unclenched fist towards Cleopatra. Her breath dissipated in her chest as her body succumbed to the power that enveloped her, throwing her body over the railing and directly between Crowley and herself. The muscles of her legs and arms screamed in protest as Cleopatra drew herself onto her knees, wings aching as they had taken the impact of the fall. "Cleopatra, pleased to make your acquaintance again. Raphael is thrilled you showed up." 

Horror contorted her features as Cleopatra gazed up at the other woman. "Just so you know," She rasped, lifting her hand to clutch the fabric of her shirt spread over her torso. "I still hate you."

They waited for the fallout of the spell, waited for the wall to cave in and open the gates to Purgatory. Baited breath held, Cleopatra focused her gaze on the sigils painted in blood until she realized that nothing was happening - and that it hadn't worked as they'd intended. Small victories. 

"Mhm. Maybe I said it wrong." 

The flutter of wings alerted them to Castiels presence as he now stood before Dean and Bobby clutching an empty jar. "No." He replied. "You said it perfectly, but what you needed was this." He waved the empty jar in his hand before setting it down on one of the metal tables. She made no effort to move from her position even after Dean and Bobby stood to their feet, drowning out the monotonous sound of Raphaels voice to focus in on the aura that surrounded Castiel. 

It was the same as Sams. Dark, ominous... hundreds of thousands of souls screaming in despair as they lay captive inside of his vessel. An aura that simply wasn't him. It wasn't pure, wasn't righteous or moral... It didn't hold those qualities that had drawn her to him in the first place. 

Part of her wondered if he was truly too far for her to reach. Why continue pursuing something that was bound to wither and die the moment she obtained it? Why run after him down this long, broken path built by what he believed to be good intentions... when nothing but tragedy and anguish lay on the other side? 

Why do I keep running after him?

"Enough of these games, Castiel. Give us the blood." 

"You idiot-" Crowley snarled as he pointed at the jar. "His jar is empty. Why, Castiel! How did your ritual go? Better then ours, I suspect." 

A brilliant light flooded the room in that moment, blinding them all to where visibility was denied - but Cleopatra had never seen clearer then in that moment where she stood to her feet and took her place between Dean and Bobby. Took her place with the humans she'd been raised with, disassociating herself with the angelic part of her DNA. Angels had proven to be nothing but a curse since the day she'd lost her father, and now with Castiel too far off the beaten path, she wanted nothing more to do with Heaven. 

Nothing more to do with hunting. 

"You can't imagine what it's like." He spoke. "They're all inside of me. Millions upon millions of souls." 

"That sounds sexy." Crowley mused. "And with that... exit stage Crowley." Raphaels calm demeanor shifted to that of panic when the demon disappeared, leaving him - her utterly defenseless. 

''What's the matter, Raphael?" Castiel questioned, almost in a mocking manner. "Somebody clip your wings?" 

Dean gripped the fabric of Cleopatras jacket as they watched the scene unfold before them. It was almost desperate, as if he were trying to fax her into approaching the angel. She held her position despite his grip and watched with weary, hardened eyes as Castiel snapped his fingers, and the Archangel before them was reduced to nothing but a spatter of blood against the walls.

"So you see, I saved you." 

Dean, timid and unsure, was still the first person to step up and speak. "You sure did Cas." He replied. "Thank you."

"You doubted me. Fought against me, but I was right all along." 

"Okay Cas, you were. We're sorry for that. Let us just.. diffuse you, okay?" 

Cas tilted his head in the signature manner he often did when confused. "What do you mean?" He asked. 

"You're full of nuke. It's not safe. So before the eclipse ends.. Let's get those souls back where they belong." 

He shook his head. "No. Their rightful place is right here with me." 

"Cas, it's scrambling your brain!"

"Oh, I'm not finished yet." He replied. "Raphael had many followers, and I must punish them all severely. Including you, oh soulmate." Then he turned his attention to her, and her heart plummeted straight into her stomach the moment her feet began moving unwillingly. 

Cleopatra gasped sharply as his fingers tightly wound through her hair and gripped as hard as he could, the tips of her boots barely grazing the floor as Castiel lifted her to meet his eyes. Dean froze in his spot, unable to form a coherent sentence as his brain ran into overdrive at the sight of Castiel holding Cleopatra in such a... hostile, abusive manner. 

"Cas listen, I know there's a lot of bad water under the bridge." He confessed, hands held up against his head as Cleopatra desperately tried not to writhe in his grasps. Despite the anxious fluttering of her wings that lay folded against her back, there was no possible way she would escape his hold unless he willingly released her. "We were family once. I would've died for you. And you would've died for her, because you care about her." 

"I did care about her until she began lying to me." The truth behind his words knotted her stomach enough that Cleopatra could feel the urge to vomit slowly rising in her throat. "Hiding, keeping secrets.. That's not what soulmates do. And as you did, she doubted me. She will pay for her crimes." 

"Let me- Let me finish." Dean interjected. "I've almost died for you a few times, same with her. But please.. if that means anything to you.. I've lost Lisa, I lost Ben, I've lost Sam.. I can't lose the two of you at the same time. You don't need this kind of juice anymore, Cas! Get rid of it before it kills us all!" 

"You're just saying that because I won. Because you're afraid." Hand still wound in her hair, Castiel dropped the Nephilim to her knees and kept his grip tight even as he moved forward, dragging her along with him. A whimper built in her throat as he stopped in front of Dean. "You're not my family, Dean. And you?" He parted her hair with his free hand and brought her face close enough to his own that she could feel his breath ghost over her skin. "You are not the woman I love." 

Tears blurred her eyes as Cleopatra nodded vigorously. "You're right. I never was."

The sound of an angel blade piercing flesh nearly had her hysterical, still under the impression that the weapon could permanently expel Castiel from his vessel and kill him. But much to her surprise, Sam Winchester stood at its hilt - equally confused as he simply removed the blade from his torso and allowed it to clatter to the floor. "I'm glad you made it Sam, but the angel blade won't work because I'm not an angel anymore." 

He lifted her again, hand now loosely wound around her throat. The need to breathe became dire as the rest of the conversation filtered in and out of her ears, lungs slowly inhaling what little air he granted. 

"I'm your new God, a better one. So you will bow down and profess your love, unto me your Lord. Or I shall destroy you." 

Gold eyes flashed in the shadows as they threatened to roll back into her head, but she fought the urge to sleep. Seeing Castiel in such a state was not the last memory she wanted to have of him. "I-" Her words came on a final breath, hissed through gritted teeth as her eyes snapped open. "I"d like to see you try." 

And then the world was bathed in darkness. 


	46. Bonus Chapter One: Endverse Cas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Endverse Castiel has been through enough, but when Dean and Cleopatra are transported to 2014 and meet the fallen angel face to face, they must come to terms with a new reality: Cleopatra doesn't exist in the future, and Dean really isn't Dean anymore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally when I wrote this book on another website, I had it split in three parts because there's so many seasons of Supernatural. Book 2 got no traction, and so I've combined all three books into one massive fanfiction that'll be over a thousand pages by the time I'm done with it. This is a bonus chapter, and there'll be more!

Just having Castiel in her proximity literally sets every nerve ending in her body on fire. It's blatantly obvious how the Seraph barricades his feelings behind a brick wall that lines the fragile, beating thing he calls a heart - but unlike his kin, Cas tends to listen to its call more than that of his own rational judgement. 

A whisper of a goodbye flutters off her lips, dampened by the rain his wings attempt to shield her from as Cleopatra bids him farewell and leaves no trace of her presence but a single white feather that gently flutters in Castiels grasps. It's become a habit for the two of them - leaving a token behind each time they parted. The feathers tucked into his breast pocket carried a sense of security for him, a constant reminder that even if his soulmate wasn't at his side, that he would always carry her with him. 

"_Be safe, Flower." _

_"As long as you're around, sweetheart.. I don't think I'll ever not be." _

She granted Dean the ability to have his four hours of sleep he had practically begged Castiel for and opted to remain in the armchair of his hotel room, quietly scrolling through unopened emails and unread text messages as he peacefully slept into the wee hours of the morning. It wasn't until his phone began to vibrate on his bedside table that Dean stirred from his sleep, oblivious to her presence as he flipped open his cellphone to answer the call. 

"C'mon Cas," He whined lowly. "I still need to sleep, you know!" The irritation in his tone dissipated as he realized it wasn't Castiel on the other side of the line, and that it was Sam instead - Sam who had finally come out of hiding to confess to his brother about his involvement with the Apocalypse as Lucifers vessel, the opposition of Michael. 

After his conversation with Sam ended on a sour note, Dean chose to fall back asleep, and Cleopatra watched over him. Or she faithfully sat at his side and slowly ran her fingers through his hair, warding off any bad dream that may have approached him mid-slumber, and she eventually dozed off herself. It was the stale air and the brisk chill that woke her. 

"What the-" The setting they'd been in had changed entirely - painted walls now lay barren, chipped and rotted from years of abandonment. The smell alone was horrid, akin to that of rotten... _something. _"Dean," Gentle fingers wound around his shoulders and shook to wake him from his sleep. "Dean, wake _up. _We're... We're somewhere else!" 

Dean jolted awake and the two of them bolted toward the window to scan the area outside. The entire block was vacant of any life, debris of people come and gone scattered along the roadside as if they were meant to be mementos to the dead. Old cars and rotting houses, bricks of old buildings crumbling down to their very foundation. It looked like something straight out of the scenes of a horror film. 

"Patra, stay behind me." Dean warned, extending his arm to keep her from stepping in front of him and taking the lead. "And if I were you, I'd put those angelic powers on activate and keep an eye out. We don't know what we're-" The blood in her veins turned to ice at the echoing sound of footsteps, and before she could comprehend what was happening, Dean lurched forward and took off at an alarming pace with her hand gripped tightly in his own. 

The word echoed in her mind - Painted with blood against the backdrop of the wall. 

** _Croatoan_ **

*** 

"You _have _to be joking - How on Earth are we in 2014?!" Half the day had passed by the time Dean had managed to discover a car in a decent enough condition to still be run, and now they were ambling about aimlessly in the dark with absolutely no idea of what was occurring around them. "No signal, no freaking _signal-" _

Deans fingers wound around the radio knob to turn it on. Only static played over the airwaves. "Well," He grumbled. "That's never a good sign." 

Cleopatra yelped as a male figure appeared in the front passenger seat, bearing a remarkable resemblance to Zachariah - who she _still _despised for having torched her wings and thrown her about like a rag doll at the Winchesters feet. Every hair on the back of her neck stood to attention as she moved to make herself as small as possible in the back seat. 

"Croatoan pandemic reaches Australia. President Palin defends bombing of Houston-''

"I thought I smelled your stink on this back to the future crap!" 

Zachariah glanced up from his newspaper and scowled. "Let's see what's happening in sports," He interjected, clearly not amused by Deans irritation. "Oh that's right, there's no more _sports. _Congress revoked the right to group assembly. What's left of Congress, that is. Hardly a quorum if you ask me." 

"Uh, no offense _Zachariah_\- But how exactly did you find us?" Cleopatra asked. "Cause I'm not shining like a beacon anymore with this Enochian etched into my ribs." 

"Ah, of course Castiel shielded you from vision of the angels. Such a... protective one he is." He muttered. "And to answer your question, I had to tap into some unorthodox resources of late human informants. We've been making inspirational visits to the fringier Christian groups. Gave them both your images and told them to keep an eye out." 

"Oh good, now you've had your jollies. Send us back, you son of a-" 

He held his hand upward and shook his head. "Oh, we'll send you back all in good time. We want the two of you to marinate a little bit. Especially you, Missus Casopatra." Dark eyes snapped back to meet those of the woman cowering in the back seat, her form veiled in shadow as she timidly lifted her gaze. "We've got quite a special surprise for you." 

_What kind of special surprise would require sending me here? _

And so Cleopatra retreated inwardly, wrapping her arms around her knees as she brought them to her chest, and she prayed. Fervent prayers fell from her lips as her eyes fluttered closed, focusing on the images of Castiel lingering behind closed eyelids. Castiel, the one who had fallen from grace to be with her. The angel who had defied everything he stood for and had rescued the righteous man from Hell. 

Castiel, the now graceless angel, who had lost his Cleopatra months ago and had since dwelt in a life of misery and drugs as a means to distract him from his grief. 

***

"Two of you. You're... you're joking right? It's like I'm living some sort of sexy fantasy." A bitter taste flooded her mouth as she sat beside Dean on the floor of a shed, hand bound behind her by a pair of handcuffs that dug uncomfortably into her skin. "And you, _other _Dean- Why do you keep looking at me like that?" 

The man who stood before Cleopatra had snagged them both when they'd been inspecting the rusted Impala, now worn from years worth of being left unused in a collection of weeds before their camp. Her eyes scanned him cautiously - Observing the tick of the muscles clenched in his jaw, the scars on his hands from years of consistently stripping and firing weapons, and the way he purposefully kept avoiding her gaze almost as if he was _afraid _to look at her. To see the person who sat before him and seemingly fall apart that she was here, _breathing_, and only inches from his grasps. 

The resemblance between her Dean and future Dean was uncanny, but there happened to be one distinguishable difference between the two of them. The one in front of her with eyes that shined with guilt was hardened by the war thrust upon him - Driven by his losses and denied the luxury of grief. 

"Oh, this version of you lost me." The realization fell off her lips in a whisper. "Whatever the Croatoan virus really is... It infected me and I died in your arms, right? What a tragic ending to the girl who was born with a death sentence on her head. Sad, really." 

"You-" Dean swallowed the bile rising in his throat at how callous she sounded. "You didn't just die in my arms, Patra. You fought hellishly and _died _on my watch after I promised Cas-" He stopped short and swallowed the knot forming in his throat, whatever truth he'd been meaning to speak dying on his tongue as he dipped his head to his chest. "Not the point right now. I want a good reason why I shouldn't gank you, _other me, _right now." 

"Because then you'd be hurting yourself?" 

Cleopatra snorted loudly. "Remind me to note the fact that you said that to yourself later." 

"Look man," Present Dean called out as he struggled against the handcuff attached to the pipe he and Cleopatra were leaning against. "I'm not a shapeshifter or a demon, okay? And if you had a Patra, you know she's nothing other than a Nephilim. Zachariah brought her and I here from the tail end of 2009." 

Future Dean immediately stiffened at the mention of the other angel which spoke volumes to his involvement on this end of the world. "Where is he?" He demanded. "I want to talk to him." 

"We don't know." Cleopatra softly interjected as she began to stand to her feet. No matter how hard she tried to avert his gaze, the other Dean simply would not lock eyes with her. She could feel the heat of his stare sweeping across her body almost as if she were a dream, a phantom of his past returning to the world to haunt him for whatever had happened. "We're not here to cause any trouble Dean. If you know me, _really _know me, you know that every word coming out of my mouth is true." Future Dean stepped into the gap between the two of them and extended his hand, wrapping his fingers around the shoulder to lower her back onto her knees. 

"If you know me, _really _know me.. Tell me something only I would know." 

Her Dean grinned wickedly as the answer appeared at the forefront of his memory. "Rhonda Hurley." He replied. "We were... uh, 19? She made us try on her panties, and they were pink and satiny. You know the weird part? We actually kinda liked it." 

"Touche." Future Dean stood and crossed the room once again to retrieve his weapon that lay discarded on the table. "So what, Zach zapped the two of you up here to see how bad it gets?" 

"Not a clue. This is the Croatoan virus, right? That is their endgame?" Cleopatra asked. "Efficient, incurable, and about as scary as the equivalent to Hell. If it killed me... It's lethal. Turning people into monsters and evidently, the world turned to crap right about the same time." 

A light blush spread across Future Deans face as he lifted his focus from the duffel bag on the table to the woman who sat beside his past counterpart. "Wow," He breathed in awe. ''Your intelligence never did cease to amaze me, Cleopatra." The air in the room grew heavy as Dean adjusted his position beside her and narrowed his eyes as he realized that his Future version had yet to mention Sam. 

"What about Sam?" 

It wasn't hard to miss the way his chest deflated at the mention of his baby brother who had been lost to him long ago. "There was a heavy weight showdown in Detroit. We weren't together at the time,'' Dean replied. "From what I understand, Sam didn't make it." A gasp caught in her throat as tears blurred her eyes, forcing her to turn her gaze away from both Deans' as she fought to control her tears. He had been forced from a young age to take care of Sammy, to watch over _Sammy_, completely disregarding his own well being in exchange for that of his younger brother. 

And not only had she died under Future Deans watch, but so had Sam. No wonder he was so cold, so _hardened _by what had happened around him. 

"No. Sam and I... we haven't talked in five years. I didn't have the ability to go after him either. Had other people to worry about." 

"Dean," Cleopatra interjected as she shakily stood to her feet, using the wall behind her to brace her freed hand against. The thought of Sam's death had her head spinning - Imagining the sight of his body and the blood that stained the ground in a path that traced right back to his brother, frozen in his place as he remained helpless to prevent it. "I'm just... feeling a bit lightheaded. Is there any chance you could let me out of these cuffs for a moment so I can go outside? No one is going to notice I'm here." Her expression softened as she caught the reluctance in his eyes - Someone outside the shack was sure to notice a dead woman walking about their camp. _"Please." _

"I'm more then aware that you have the ability to snap those cuffs in half, Cleopatra. You can get out of 'em when I get back." 

Before her Dean could argue for their release, Other Dean was gone, leaving the two of them alone together in the shack. Dean awkwardly angled his head to glance up at Cleopatra in the darkness of the room, gold eyes illuminated by the shadows as she lifted her hand and snapped her fingers. The handcuffs fell off them both with ease. 

The moment they stepped out of the shack together, her mind immediately went to Castiel and what influence he had over the group of traumatized survivors that lingered within Deans camp. "I have to go find Castiel, Dean." She murmured lowly, wrapping her hand around his arm to grasp his attention. "To see what's left of him, anyway. Be careful." 

"You too kid." 

Cleopatra kept to the outskirts of camp, purposefully evading the survivors in the midst of their daily chores as she set out for the cabin that, based off of the whispers she'd heard, was where Castiel conducted his triweekly orgies. Rotted floorboards creaked under the pressure of her boots as she approached the door and wound her fingers around the beads of the curtains that hung there to open it. 

"In this way, we are each a fragment of total perception. Just one compartment in that dragonfly eye of group mind." Her heart skipped several beats just at the sound of his voice and how utterly _serene _he seemed. It had been a wish of hers for Castiel to find the true meaning of peace since the day they'd crossed paths in Lawrence. At least he had found it on this side of the world. "Now, the key to this total shared perception is surprisingly physical." 

Her presence remained unknown even as she moved further into the room. It wasn't until her foot caught the fabric of a abandoned coat in the corner that his head shot up and all the blood drained from Castiels face, expression contorted in fear as he scrambled backward. All the women before him rushed out the door as he attempted to calmly usher them out of the cabin, never once tearing his eyes away from her own. 

Words flowed easily the moment they were alone. "Hello Castiel." 

"How-_How _are you standing here?" His question bordered on desperation as Castiel struggled not to sprint across the gap between them and take her right there on that floor. The last time he'd seen Cleopatra, _his _Cleopatra, they were only a week into their new marriage just before Dean had taken her on the mission that had inevitably killed her. "God, and here I thought the hallucinations had _stopped. _Please-Please stop haunting me, I can't take it-" 

"I'm not a figment of your imagination, Cas." Cleopatra replied calmly, taking slow, concise steps towards him as the gears erratically turned in his head while he struggled to comprehend the fact that she stood before him. Not a body buried in the ground on the outskirts, not yet another hallucination, but indeed the woman he'd fallen in love with. "I'm not a hallucination, or a memory, or a ghost. It's me." Cleopatra extended her hand to grasp his own and spread his fingers over her beating heart. "Me. Your soulmate." 

Unfortunately, Cleopatra realized almost as soon as her fingertips grazed the beard that framed his jawline that this was not her Castiel. Not the angelic version of him anyway. The halo she'd grown so accustomed to seeing was no longer hovering over the dark mane that lay unruly on his head, and his wings were all but whole. They were simply remains of the angel he had once been, barren of once glorious obsidian feathers and the reflection of the stars they carried. 

"It's _you._" Large hands immediately went to tangle in her hair as Castiel pulled his ''wife'' into the curve of his body for a kiss. It was almost foreign to her - The way he touched her body so desperately, all teeth and tongue as he sank deeper into the recesses of her mouth in hopes to pull away the memory of the woman he had lost. Consuming air did not seem to be a dire need, because as she tried to recircuit her brain, he seemed perfectly fine with allowing his hands to wander under the exposed fabric of her teeshirt. Hot kisses seared across the slope of her shoulder as Cleopatra angled her neck to grant him better access, fingers tightly grasping the material of his shirt as her knees began to tremble under his ministrations. "_Father,_ you taste as sinful as I remember." 

"And you, sweet angel.." A deep sigh broke past her lips as his hands wound around the clasp of her bra, dark baritone echoing in her ear as Castiel slowly lowered her to the floor. "Seem to not have your halo and wings anymore." He froze in the midst of removing her shirt, fingers tightly wound around the fabric as she parted her knees just enough that he'd fit easily between them. "It's a shame really. They were the most beautiful part of you." 

"You're not from this time. Your eyes... They're too innocent." Cleopatra tilted her head as Castiel parted her hair away from her face and allowed his fingers to trace the shape of her lips. "My Flower was hardened by her losses, but there was one thing I always noticed when she and I were alone." He dipped his head back down and tugged her shirt over her head, leaving Cleopatra in nothing but frayed jeans and unlaced boots, look of bewilderment evident on her face. 

"Yeah? What was that?" 

"I never doubted how much she loved me." 

***

After Dean so rudely interrupted their reunion, she along with Castiel stood on the sidelines for the arrival of Deans team, returned from the hot zone where the Croatoans lingered the most frequently. To say she was stunned when he abruptly fired a shot into the head of the man opposite him was an understatement. That happened to be another difference between this Dean and her own - He didn't go around murdering people. Not like that anyway. 

"_It's not murder when you're coming straight from the hot zone of Croatoans, 'Patra. Yeager was infected. After a couple of years doing this on a regular basis, I happen to know these things." _

Castiel on the other hand could not seem to pry his hands away from her. Hands lingered against the undulating swell of hips hidden beneath his discarded trench coat, rescued from the shadows of his cabin and worn after years of abandonment. The scent of him had never faded from the fabric. Laughter burbled past her lips as his nose trailed over the curve of her neck, newfound stubble grazing her skin as she squirmed in his embrace. 

"_You. Me. Together,_" He had whispered. It was hard not to react at the feeling of his smile as his lips spread over her skin. "_Forever."_

In regards to the reaction of her return, most of the civilians who had remained in Deans encampment had not been present when she had died, so seeing her with Castiel wasn't exactly a peculiar sight. That night found them together with both Deans and the other members of the defense squad that often traveled outside of camp, and with the recent return of The Colt, it was time to fashion together a plan to defeat the Devil. 

"We don't have to find Lucifer," Other Dean remarked as she casually slung her legs over Castiels and downed the remainder of the beer she'd been given. "We know where he is. The demon we caught last week was a part of the big guys entourage. He knew." 

Hands wandered, smiles were exchanged, and yet no one made a fuss over the love sickcouple sat in the middle of the room. If this was the only way she was to receive affection from _a _Castiel, she'd more than willingly oblige. "So a demon tells you where Satan is gonna be, and you just... believe it?" 

"Oh trust me, he wasn't lying." 

Risa cocked an eyebrow as her gaze remained hardened on Dean, unwavering as she was adamant to uncover the facts that hadn't been spoken yet. "Risa," Cas interjected. "Our fearless leader happens to be well versed in getting people to tell the truth." 

That was when her own version of Dean decided to speak up. "Torture?" He asked. Another tactic he too was well versed in and often shied away from unless necessary. "Oh, so we're torturing again? Well, that's good. Classy.''

Future Dean glared as Castiel snickered at the remark. "What? I like past you! And past Cleopatra!" 

"_Lord_, Cas! Could you not act like a love sick puppy for five friggin' minutes?" 

He ran his hand over her knee and grinned wickedly. "Not even if you paid me." 

Future Dean laid out a map of the area where he claimed Lucifer was going to be waiting for them. "So Lucifer is here. I know the block, I know the building." She and Cas reluctantly parted from one another to stand on opposite sides of the table and glance over the area. 

"Oh good, it's right in the middle of a hot zone!" 

"Crawling with Crotes, yeah. You saying my plan is reckless?" 

Cleopatra leaned her weight into the table and curled her fingers over the map. "Yeah, little bit." She replied. "The only plausible way you and your team make it out of there alive is if you have some angelic assistance from yours truly. Cas is powered down, and I'm the only solution you have." 

The way both Castiel and future Dean reacted to her remark was enough to dissipate the air in her lungs. One fallen expression showed nothing but resistance, and the other showed nothing but utter misery at the thought of sending her back out there to where he'd believe she'd die, _again. _It wasn't fair to either of them - Especially her husband who should not have been forced to lower her body six feet into the Earth a second time. 

Cleopatra quieted her mind and whispered _I'm sorry_, hoping Castiel could hear her; The moment he lifted his head when she spoke and locked eyes with her was when she knew he did. 

"To add to that, are you saying we just stroll up the driveway past all the demons and Crotes and just shoot the Devil?" 

"Yes." 

"Okay, well if you don't like reckless, I think insouciant might be a better substitution." 

"Are you coming with me?" Future Dean had all his attention on Castiel - Cas, the only person who had miraculously made it this far with him. His best friend, his confidant, his _family - _One of the only people who was willing to sacrifice himself and his life in order to defeat the Devil. 

"Of course, but why is he? If something happens to him, you're gone right?" Cas queried. He lifted his head from the table to gaze at Cleopatra, who now stood whispering to Dean as she fiddled with the sheath on her thigh. The sight of such a normal habit quirked his lips upward - A happy memory playing out before his eyes. "And her... My 'Patra is gone, she shouldn't even _be _here-" 

"You love the fact that she's here." Future Dean said lowly in order to keep her and his other self from hearing it. "I haven't seen you so happy since your wedding day, and I'm the one who officiated it." Cas and Cleopatras wedding had been relatively small with only a few certain people in attendance. 

He clasped his hand over Cas' shoulder and rotated his wrist in the air. "We move out at midnight!" 

Dean was correct. He hadn't been his happiest since the day he'd married her - only to have her ripped away less then two weeks later. Castiel would carry that final look she'd exchanged with him to his death bed - Wedding ring glistening in the morning sun as she and Dean loaded the jeep, only to cast a final kiss over her shoulder while they were pulling out of the encampment. He still carried her wedding ring as a reminder to what he had lost. 

But this Cleopatra didn't need to know that. 

***

The entire way to the hot zone her mind focused on Sam and what Past Dean had told her about his conversation with his other self. How Sam had said yes to Lucifer and hadn't actually died in Detroit. Sam, who had been terrified and alone. Sam, who was probably _writhing _inside of his own body as he was paraded around by Lucifer. 

Wedged between Castiel and Dean, Cleopatra adjusted her weight to lean into the Seraph as he casually slung his arm over her shoulders. Just being in the general proximity of _this _Castiel set every nerve in her body on fire. "Hey baby girl," He whispered lowly in his ear, twisting the Amphetamines bottle in between his fingers. "Don't fall asleep on me." 

"Is that a threat?" She teased lightly. "What happens if I do?" 

"I'm gonna say something _really _sinful that'll jolt you right out of your sleep." 

Awed eyes fluttered open to meet his own - And even though he was only inches away from her, Cleopatra could clearly make out the depths of just how blue his were. "Sweet Cas," Nimble fingers ghosted up the planes of his torso and knotted in his hair, wrenching him forward just enough that she could feel the outline of his lips against her own. "You're a sinner." 

"And I need my eyes _bleached."_ Dean deadpanned. Cleopatra snorted and pried herself away from the angel to sink down into her spot, crossing her ankles to a more comfortable position as she decided to focus her gaze on their surroundings. "What is that? Amphetamines?" 

"Perfect antidotes to that absinthe." 

"Don't get me wrong Cas, I like how utterly lovesick you are and how the stick is finally out of your-" 

Cleopatra dug her nails into the skin of his hand to silence him. "What Dean _means _is that we both really want to know what happened to you. What's with the drugs and the orgies and the love guru crap-" 

His laughter echoed in the air as they continued down the road. "Dean, I'm not an angel anymore. Went mortal just before Cleo and I got married so that way we'd grow old together." Her heart sank at the thought - How utterly luck she'd have been to be able to grow old with Castiel only to be ripped away from him before they'd even begun. How he would've waited in hopes of her return, adamant to refuse verbal truth until her body was laid out before him. "Just the thought of that elated her, and I would've sacrificed anything for that woman. Since she died.. I'm all but useless. Last year I broke my foot and was laid up for two months." He lightly nudged her hip with his elbow. "That was the first time my version of you made out with me. It's quite fun to do when you're incapacitated. I'm now a perfectly flawed human." 

Dawn arrived just as they did. Future Dean ushered her towards the front given that she was their most powerful asset while Past Dean and Castiel remained behind her, weapons up and poised to fire as they awaited their targets. 

"Hey, uh.. _me-_" Dean interjected as he wrapped his arm around her bicep and pulled her back against him. Every instinct she'd been taught since hunting went haywire as she felt the steady thrum of Deans heart in his wrist underneath her fingers. Something had him nervous. "Can we talk to you for a second?" 

"Dean?" Cleopatra whispered urgently. "What's going on?" 

"Tell me what's going on." Dean demanded as the two of them stood eye to eye with his counterpart. "You're lying to these people, to me and to her. I know you, I know your lying expressions because I've seen them in the mirror on _myself. _Now there is something you're not telling us." 

"I don't know what you're talking about." 

"Well, I might not be the only member of your posse with some questions." Cleopatra replied. "So I'll just take my doubts over to them-" The moment she stepped out of other Deans proximity, his hand shot out and wound around her wrist so tightly that it ached under his touch. No sympathy, no tenderness.. Just cold hostility. Another trait that her Dean didn't acquire. 

"Okay, _wait."_ He demanded, wrenching Cleopatra backward so she now stood between him and his other self. "Cleopatra-" A sharp gasp broke past his lips when she whipped around to face him and her eyes flashed gold, a trait he'd long forgotten she often revealed when provoked. Dean slid his weapon back into its holster and cradled the cheek that stung with the heat of her slap. 

"You _ever _touch me like that again and I'll break your jaw, Winchester." The tip of her angel blade pressed just beneath his chin and trailed just over the ridge of his Adams Apple, causing Dean to swallow uncomfortably as he met her gaze. He had expected her to demand an apology, but after a moment of silence she lowered her blade and moved away from the both of them to stand in front of Castiel. 

Other Dean snorted as he rubbed his cheek. "I would've warned you not to do that, y'know." He remarked as he tightly crossed his arms over his chest. "She doesn't do well with touches like that from people she doesn't know." 

Dean shrugged. How would she not do well with being touched by _him _when she had so often been the one to comfort him before she'd died? Cleopatra and Castiel had been there since the start, and he'd brought her body home to her husband, wept over her freshly dug grave and buried her memory deep within the confines of his barricaded heart. Why would she _shy _away from him, of all people? 

"But I'm you." 

"Not as much as you were before this all started." Other Dean replied. "Anyway, do continue berating me. What are you not telling me?"

"Look around you man. This place should be crawling with Crotes, and it's not." 

He nodded. "They've cleared a path for us." 

"Which means this is-" 

"A trap." Dean replied. "Well then we can't go through the front.'' 

Other Dean shook his head. "No, _we're _not. They are. They're the decoys. You, me and 'Patra are going through the back. She's the only way we survive any of this, and she _might _be the only one who can get through to Lucifer and kill him for good." 

Dean scowled at his own selfish tactics. How _broken _this version of him was. He would never have sacrificed his own people as bait, much less Castiel and Cleopatra. "You want to feed your own people to the meat grinder? And Cas too? Just after he gets Cleopatra back, you wanna make her _watch _him die?" 

"This has nothing to do with her-" 

"It does now!" Dean exclaimed. "See, here's the thing. That woman is the only good thing going for both of us. She loves him, and she's loved Sam, and she _loves _us. She would never willingly agree to such a ridiculous charade knowing that it puts Castiel in danger. Cleopatra isn't selfish, you idiot." 

"Then she can stay with them. Either way, you and I are taking out Lucifer. Together, right here, right now." Dean argued. "These people trust me to kill the Devil and save the world. She tried to help me once, and the sheer _power _she emanated throughout this block was what drew the Crotes and killed her." 

"You're not doing this like this. I'm not going to let you." 

"Oh really?"

The last thing Dean remembered before he fell unconscious was watching Cleopatras form run in behind Castiel, hand tightly gripping her own. Then the gunfire started, and soon the screaming followed. 

***

Every nerve in her body was screaming for sleep. Blood stained fingers trembled, her bones ached, and her entire being wept as the memory of watching him die flashed before her eyes on her way to the gardens. There had been quite a number of Crotes and demons inside the building - Not enough for her to withdraw, but enough for a full scale fight. Dean's crew was screaming as they were torn apart by opposing forces, but not Castiel. Not until she'd turned her attention away from him to kill the last two demons. 

Two demons that actually became three. 

After immediately being rid of the first two, she hadn't had enough time to turn on the third one and instead watched helplessly as it lunged forward and slammed Castiel into the ground, blade raised high as it plunged downward and into the soft flesh of his abdomen. The scream left her mouth was inhuman as the demon was slowly raised into the air, practically begging for the release of death as it clawed at its neck to remove the pressure held there by her grasps. 

She didn't even see the fear that lurked in his eyes when the very creature that killed him was reduced to ash. 

"_I'm sorry, Castiel." _Tears dribbled over her lips as Cleopatra sank to her knees just in view of the Gardens where she could see Future Dean in the midst of speaking to Lucifer. Cleopatra had held him as he writhed in her arms, babbling incoherently as she surveyed him for any further damage. His wound was mortal and that was enough for her to be unable to heal him. "_I'm so sorry." _

So instead of following him into his death, she had simply sung a few lyrics from a familiar tune in Les Miserables, a musical she'd been cast in as the lead back in high school. 

_Don't you fret, Monsieur Marius... I don't feel any pain. A little fall of rain, can hardly hurt me now... You're here. That's all I need to know. _

Castiel had stared at her in wonder from where his head laid against the crook of her arm while the storm brewed outside the broken windows. How fitting this was - The two of them here, utterly alone within the empty warehouse, splattered in the blood of their victims and cradling the last precious moment where Castiel would see the love of his life. After all this time he had spent running away from her death, now she would have to witness his. 

"_And you will keep me safe," _He had whispered. It pained him enough to move, but to see her in such a state of hysteria while she sobbed was enough to break his heart. "_And you will keep me close. And rain... Will make the flowers grow." _She hadn't even been able to whisper how much she loved him before he'd gone limp in her arms. 

Her grief and her rage was all that fueled her steps forward into the garden. 

"Oh, _hello _Half Breed." Lucifer drawled as he pressed his arm tighter to Deans neck. "Give me a moment while I deal with this insufferable man." Before she could comprehend what was happening, Lucifer had Dean pinned on the ground beneath the pressure of his shoe pressed against his windpipe. "You know as well as I do that _this _Dean will die today. Any last words you'd like to exchange?" 

Cleopatra pondered two choices. Snarling that she hoped he burned for sending Castiel to his death, or a simple ASL gesture - The one that most often mirrored _I love you. _Dean was gazing at her with such a look of terror that she chose the latter option and held her index and pinky finger vertically, followed by her thumb. The smile that graced his expression was enough. 

"I have a bone to pick with you, Lucifer." 

"Is that so?" 

"I just want you to know the pain I just experienced." She tapped her finger against her temple. "The way he _screamed _as your demon plunged the blade into his stomach. See this blood on my hands? The blood on my clothes? It's his. It belongs to _Castiel." _Lucifer eyes swept across her form and the pair of wedding rings that now hung around her neck. "Let me tell you about pain, Lucifer. About how I held my _soulmate _as he died in my arms. He believed I was going to save them all from being ripped apart, and his unfaltering belief in me got him killed." 

"Such a shame. I watched the first version of you die after believing you could fight me and _win. _The Crotes smelled the power that radiated from you and took you before I had the chance. Little birdie told me that Castiel then he had to bury you. Now _you _get to bury _him." _Disbelieving laughter left his lips as she continued towards him. "Ironic, when you think about it. Everything around you dies, and now you have the mark of Castiels death on your soul forever. What a _delightful _shame." 

Lucifer blanched when her eyes became alight with color akin to that of the sun. Gold had always been associated with the Nephilim - A deep, unbridled fury raging through their veins as they'd been forced to live on the run from Heaven since birth. 

"Now I'm standing here, not broken by my losses. I'm standing here fueled by my rage directed toward _you.'' _The Devil gasped as Cleopatra raised her clenched hand, effectively knocking all the air from his lungs. She did her best to remain oblivious to Deans corpse on the ground and block all thoughts of _her _Dean's whereabouts from her mind. "For ruining the Winchesters lives with your utterly pathetic Apocalypse battle, for basically killing Sam Winchester-" 

"D-Didn't kill h-him-" 

"Yeah, you did. You killed him when he said yes. I can see his soul, y'know." Gentle fingers wound around her shoulders and ushered her backward into a toned body as Lucifer sank to his knees on the ground, now freed from her grasps. Dean appeared in her peripheral vision, hand extended as he ushered for her to follow him forward. The moment her fingers laced with his was when she took the first step. "I see the way he _writhes _inside, and I pity him. It's not the ending he deserved."

"But it's the ending he was given." Lucifer stood to his feet and brushed the dirt off of his crisp white suit, eyes crinkling as he caught sight of Dean now standing beside Cleopatra. "Oh, hello Dean. So glad of you to join us." Lightning split across the sky above, electrifying the air around them as Lucifer suddenly appeared near the entrance to the gardens. "You two have come a long way to see this, haven't you?" 

"Well go ahead then." Her heart sank as she watched Deans eyes flickered up and down the form of his brother who had been lost long ago. A world without Winchesters was not one she wanted any part of. "Kill me. Kill _us._" 

Sam glanced behind them to where his counterpart laid dead on the ground. "Don't you think that would be a little bit redundant?" He questioned. "I'm sorry. It must be painful, speaking to me in this shape. It had to be your brother, you know. It had to be." 

The closer Lucifer drew to Dean the more her brain went haywire at the thought of losing him too, and so Cleopatra stepped in front of him to act as his human shield. Human eyes could not comprehend the sheer magnitude of celestial wings, but Lucifer was more then aware of white wings wrapping around the older Winchesters form. "Stay _away _from him." She snarled. 

The Devil clucked his tongue distastefully. "Neither of you have to be afraid of me." He said. "What do you think I'm going to do?" 

"I don't know, maybe deep fry the planet?" 

"Why? Why would I want to destroy this stunning thing? It's _beautiful _in a trillion different ways. The last perfect handiwork of God." Lucifer replied. "Have you ever heard the story of how I fell from grace?" 

Cleopatra held her hand up to silence Deans reply. "Yes, I have." She deadpanned. "Because you were a selfish, _prideful _douchebag who thought he could be the new God. _You _wanted all the praise and adoration that your Father was getting, and that was why you fell." 

Dean nodded vigorously as The Devil scoffed at the two of them. "She's a Bible nut." He interjected. "I'm gonna go with her version of the story." 

"If you must know the truth, it's because I loved him more than anything in this world. Then God created _you. _The little hairless apes. And then to top that, he asked all of us to bow down before you, to love you more than him. I told him I couldn't. That his human beings were flawed, murderous-" 

"And so breathtakingly beautiful." Cleopatra whispered. 

As she suspected, Lucifer ignored her reply. "And for that, I was cast out of Heaven. Michael casted me into Hell. Now tell me, does the punishment fit the crime? Especially when I was _right._" Lucifer stated. "Look at what six billion of you have done to this thing, and how many of you blame me for it."

"You aren't fooling me, y'know that?" Cleopatra remained still as Dean extended his hand to rest against the curve of her hip, fingers traveling downward toward her own where he then rested their linked hands against the sheath on her thigh. "Not with this sympathy-for-the-devil crap. I know what you are.'' 

"What am I?" 

"The same brand of cockroach I've been squashing my whole life. An ugly, evil, belly to the ground supernatural piece of crap. The only difference between them and you is the size of your ego." Dean took a shuddering breath and fell silent as Lucifer watched on, lips quirked upward in a bemused smile. 

"I like you Dean. I like Cleopatra too. I like how utterly loyal she is to failed causes," Her mind flashed back to Castiels body in the warehouse and the desperate, frightened look of Deans counterpart. She hoped he'd reunited with her, reunited with Cas in the fields of Heaven. "And now... Now I'm seeing what the other angels see in you. Goodbye. I think we'll meet again soon, all three of us." 

"You better kill me now!" Dean exclaimed. "Kill me now or I _swear _I'll find a way to kill you. I won't ever stop!" 

"I know you won't." Lucifer replied calmly. "And I know you won't say yes to Michael either. I know you won't kill Sam, _either _of you. Whatever you do, you'll always end up here. Whatever choices you make, whatever details you alter... We will always end up here. I win. So.. I win." 

"You're wrong." 

"I'll see you in five years, Dean." 

Zachariah appeared just as Lucifer made his exit, and before she could rush out of the way to retrieve Castiels body, he gripped both her and Dean and brought them back to present day. 

***

"You son of a _bi-_" 

"I know you were gonna bury the angel. I admire just how carelessly loyal you are, Nephilim." Zachariah replied as she and Dean sat upward on the motel bed. "He loved you, y'know. I think that's why he met his end... Because he loved you just a little bit too much." 

Cleopatra remained inattentive for the greater duration of his conversation with Dean, fingers flitting upward to the chain she had been wearing after abandoning his body in the warehouse. A memento to their marriage - Two rusted wedding rings on a silver chain - lost to her by their jump backwards in time. 

She heard key words of his spiel. Michael, Lucifer, _say yes, _Sammy. It didn't matter if Zachariah had taken them five years in time and he'd watched himself and his brother die, there was no way he would willingly say yes to Michael possessing him. 

Before she could be drawn from her daze, Cleopatra and Dean were sucked out of the hotel room and onto the dampened sidewalks of a street. Both of them turned around to face their rescuer - and Cleopatras heart soared as she lunged forward and threw her arms around Castiels neck. He was real - In all the curves and crevices of his vessel, the way he melted under her touch and smelled so utterly _familiar. _This was him, her Cas, her home. 

The reverberation of his laughter in his chest was enough for her to truly smile. "Hello to you Flower." Castiel whispered lowly in her ear, the ghost of a kiss searing her skin as he lifted his head enough to meet Deans gaze. The elder Winchester clasped his friends shoulder over his embrace of his soulmate. 

''Cas, don't ever change." 

He made no effort to pry away from his hug with Cleopatra and instead lowered his arms to her waist, allowing her to remained nestled against his torso with her face fallen into the crook of his shoulder. "How did Zachariah find you?" He asked. 

"It's a long story. Let's just stay away from Jehovahs Witnesses from now on, okay?" Cas' brow furrowed as Dean removed his cellphone from his jeans and began dialing a phone number to call. 

"What are you doing?" 

"Something I should've done a while ago." 

It wasn't until Dean walked off to his phone call with Sam that she allowed herself to rise from his shoulder and leaned back into the angels embrace, smiling softly as she ran her fingers through his hair. "I have a question for you, sweetheart." She remarked, to which he nodded for her to ask. "Are you still willing to pursue forever with me?" 

Castiel tilted his head at her question, eyes never leaving her own as he pulled her closer to him and rested his forehead against her own. The feeling of his breath ghosting over her lips was enough to send shivers down her spine. "As long as _you _are willing to begin that forever together, then _yes." _He breathed. 

And even after witnessing his death only hours beforehand, blood still evident on her clothing, Cleopatra beamed and threw herself into the angels embrace. Dean was stunned by the gleeful laughter that echoed in the midst of the otherwise silent street, but he remained unsurprised as the couple stumbled about the sidewalk. 

Every forever has to start somewhere, doesn't it?


	47. Bonus Chapter Two: Misha Collins, Everybody

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Katie Mcgrath can't translate the Enochian on the locket her brother gave her in the other world when she was Cleopatra. Now she's found someone who can, and he comes in the form of her soulmate. But here, he's not her soulmate. He's her coworker, and he's Misha Collins.

_The Enochian inscribed on her locket is one she's struggled with translating for years, but upon meeting Misha Collins, Cleopatra finds that there's more to her brothers final words then she'd ever realized. _

_Set during The French Mistake _

_<><><><><><><><>_

She should have known that of all the people to translate the foreign language inscribed on her locket that Misha Collins would be the one to translate it for her. A _human _\- a beautiful human with a heart bigger than his own body and compassion that could battle most of humanity. 

A human who too often mirrored his counterpart, the angel he played on television, and never ceased to make her knees weak with that _brilliant _smile she often saw when he was with her. A smile she scarcely saw on her real angel. 

"You keep staring off into space, Kate." Gentle fingers prodded her bicep as Katie froze mid-chew, sandwich hovering in the air as she and Misha had only sat down to dinner half an hour beforehand. Jensen and Jared had gone home for the evening, and with J2 absent, Singer had thought it best to shoot the tender scene between Castiel and Cleopatra in the darkness of Bobby Singers library. "What's wrong?" 

Katie smiled softly and tilted her head to her right shoulder as she sat her sandwich down on the table. "Just thinking about my brother." She replied. "The anniversary of his death is coming up, and it keeps bringing me back to this locket." Her fingers slid upward to the pendant around her neck. Misha was under the impression it was a crucial part of Cleopatras character and remained oblivious to the significance it played on Katie. "I still can't read the inscription." 

It's so hard to suppress the shiver that runs down her spine as Misha stands to his feet, brushing hair over her shoulder as he unclasps her necklace. "I've learned enough Enochian while hiding from Jensen and Jared in their reign of terror since I got hired." He mused. "Let me see what I can figure out." 

Reagan had been _specific _about this - In order for her to read his parting words to her, she would have to learn how to read Enochian. It didn't come naturally to Nephilim as it did for angels, so her father had set out to teach it to her and her brother when they had begun training all those years ago. 

She still remembered the way he _beamed _when she'd been learning to fly with Gabriel and had fallen seemingly out of nowhere and into her mothers sunflower bed. 

"Whoever took the time to write this must've really liked you, Kate." His voice drew her from her trance as Misha held the locket up to the street light outside the table they were sat at, dark eyes squinting as he translated the inscription. "This is some sentimental crap." 

Disbelieving laughter broke past her lips as she playfully smacked his arm and leaned into him to read the Enochian letters. "Any idea what it means? It's uh... kind of one of a kind. Can't get it anywhere else." 

"_To Cleopatra, Dearest Sister. _

_We were born to destroy the world, not save it. I always thought that Gabriels nickname was apt for you.. Sunflower. Loyal, **pure**, full of light. Don't ever let them tell you who to be. That's what the darkness wants... It wants you to fizzle out. _

_So you do the opposite, and you burn."_

It doesn't sound like something Reagan would say. He was barely thirteen when she'd lost him, when she had felt his _agony _in the safety of her own home as he was killed. He had always been a polar opposite to her, but that was why they had gotten along _so _well. Reagan was her best friend, her protector, the one who had fought her battles for her until he couldn't anymore. Children should not be exposed to the dark. 

But the darkness doesn't grant mercy. 

His words are burned into her memory even in the alley way when she steps into the line of fire - blade piercing her abdomen - as she sacrifices herself to save Misha, because he's just _too much _like Castiel, and she can't bear to have lost her brother and the love of her life in the same lifetime. 

When she disappears with Jensen and Jared, Misha remembers a gorgeous woman with romantic eyes and a heart for _people__. _How she lit up a room when she entered, the way Jensen and Jared gravitated to her, how she and Cleopatra were practically one in the same. It was admirable. _She _was admirable. 

He's sure to remind her of that before she disappears. A final hug, a whispered goodbye as the threat of gunfire forces her down the alley and back into set to that window that Jensen and Jared can't seem to leave alone. A flash of gold meets his eyes, and then Katie's gone - almost as if she were never there to begin with. 

Upon returning to Earth, Cleopatra presses a kiss to the cold metal of her locket and whispers a prayer of thanks to God for sending Misha Collins across her path. For sharing the wisdom of her deceased brother. When Raphael dares to threaten her life in front of Castiel, she no longer recoils in the Archangel's presence. 

She burns. 


	48. Bonus Chapter Three: Gabriel's Goodbye

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gabriel has words for his niece.

Hey there Sunflower. If you're reading this.. It's highly likely that I'm dead. Now, don't you fret! Your dear Uncle Gabe has had a lot of time to roll some tricks up my sleeve... And though I might appear dead, it doesn't mean I actually am. Interpret that how you might, but hey.. I'm having a heck of a time living an actual life free of my douchebag brothers and poor Dad!

You're probably livid with me. Pissed I left you after your Dad died... Pissed I died in front of you.. But you know somewhere deep down in you that everything I have ever done was for you. While you might have been conceived to live a doomed life as the wife of another Angel (Again, Casopatra is where it's at) I was involved with your father because my Dad assigned me to be you and your brothers guardian angel. I knew from the day your mother had you and you wrapped your teeny finger around my own that I was gonna love you like you were my own. 

That's why I took that blade. Not to face up to my brother, not to run away from all the family drama revolving around me.. But so you wouldn't have to make another sacrifice for the betterment of other people. You, Cleopatra Carter, are a force of nature. You have lost enough.. I didn't want you to lose yourself in the midst of this mess. 

Don't give up on me yet, kiddo. There's a bright future ahead for you and Cassie... even through the darkness that's lurking around, you can still burn brighter then you realize. Also... please teach that boy how to kiss. Romantic crap. I know he's gonna be a sucker for it. 

Love you, 

Gabriel

"The Best Uncle On This Side of Heaven'' 


	49. Evil Incarnate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Castiel isn't around anymore. He's now Godstiel, and he's looking to wreak havoc on the world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am almost entirely caught up with posting this! There are only 7 chapters left before we get on track with where I am on the other website! Thank you to all who read, and any comments are most appreciated!

It's by sheer power alone that she wills her eyes to flutter open and survey the damage around her. Everything hurts, practically _burns, _and she can't find it possible to consume enough oxygen to allow the words to flow from her lips. 

But every time she blinks, he's there. The man who had once held the title of _Savior,_ now _Evil Incarnate _with the souls of the damned coursing through his vessel. Dean, Sam and Bobby were all kneeling on opposite sides of where she laid on the floor; Heads bowed in reverence to their newly appointed God. 

"_C-Castiel-" _The Seraphim peered down at her, not a hint of his usual compassion lingering in the depths of his cobalts as he met the gaze of the woman he had once loved. "_You a-aren't him-" _

_"_Correct. The Castiel you knew, the Castiel you all knew is gone." He announced. Dean slowly crept forward and knelt down to retrieve Cleopatra from the floor, loosely wrapping his arms around her body as he hoisted her into the air. 

"So what then, kill us?" 

"What a brave little _ant _you are." He jeered. "Without your Nephilim, you know you're powerless. You wouldn't dare to cross me again. That would be pointless." Cleopatra whimpered softly as she burrowed into Deans torso, too afraid to maneuver her body to where she could see the man who stood behind her. "I have no need to kill you, not now. Besides, once you were my favorite pets before you turned and bit me." 

"Who are you?" 

"I'm God." 

That statement alone was enough of a wake-up call. "Yeah, a pretty piss poor impression of Him." Cleopatra retorted weakly. "You are nothing like the God my Daddy was created by. You're.. ruthless and cruel and care nothing for humanity. That isn't who God is, _genius._" Dean swallowed thickly as she wriggled in his grasps, hands hovering over her hips as he slowly sat her down on the floor. "And if you think I'm gonna bow to you.." Cas continued to be impressed by her perseverance as she glowered at him through a veil of thick black hair. "Think again." 

"Watch your words, Cleopatra." Castiel warned. "If you stay in your place, you may live in my Kingdom. If you rise up, I will strike you down." Whatever was occurring with Sam was enough to catch his attention because he immediately turned around to regard the younger Winchester, who had yet to interject his input. "Not doing so well, are you Sam?" 

"I'm fine. I'm _fine_." He repeated in a mantra, almost as if he would say it a number of times that it would be convincing enough for the rest of them to believe it. 

"You said you'd fix him! You promised!" 

"_If _you stood down, and you hardly did. Be thankful for my mercy. I could've cast you back in the pit." 

"Cas, this is nuts." Dean begged. Cleopatra pulled her bottom lip between her teeth and leaned her weight into Dean, allowing her hand to fumble for a grip on his own. She could feel the desperation building in his mind, solely set on pushing his way through the devastation Castiel had created to hopefully find remnants of the angel who had saved them both. "You can turn this around. _Please." _

"I hope for your sake this is the last you see me." 

And then he was gone, and she noticed the one thing that felt different: Cleopatra realized how much she missed him. He had been there within arms reach, but _so _far out of her grasps that there was no hope of gripping him tight and raising him from whatever darkness he'd fallen into. 

Castiel was lost to her. 

***

Her priorities shifted when Dean and Bobby assigned her to watch over Sam. It was clear that he was struggling to differentiate his memories of the Cage with the reality of what was around him. Given that Balthazar and Gabriel were dead and she was the only person Dean knew with any type of celestial powers, he very firmly believed that Cleopatra would keep his brother alive. That she could heal him and get him back to being Sam. 

So here again Cleopatra sat over Sam’s bedside, hands hovering over his temples as she slowly worked on mending the broken areas of his mind. There were multiple doors spread out in an ovular formation in the shadows, many of which were rotted with aging or unable to be opened, seeing as Sam had control of these doors and could choose which ones she wasn't allowed to see. 

The locked doors were the memories he was too afraid for her to gaze at, and the rotted doors were the tragic details of a childhood he had yet to divulge. But she wouldn't press him about them, not yet. He would tell her when he was good and ready. 

"_I know you think you're broken, Sammy." _

One door opened under the force of her foot, and Cleopatra was greeted with hell-fire and screaming, _so much screaming, _that it was evident where she was. She saw Sams soul, fragile and bleeding, used as nothing more then a means of entertainment for the Archangels trapped in Lucifers Cage. Heard his pleas to cease the torture to his mind, his screams for salvation that echoed against the bars of his Cage. 

"_But even the most irreparable things can be mended. That's what I want to do. I want to be that healing for you.. You just have to let me see." _

Cleopatra slammed the door and continued on until another opened, and this time she saw the times he and Dean died. How Dean had sacrificed himself to revive Sam and endured six months in Hell for it. The way Sam mourned as he held his brothers corpse after being mangled by Hellhounds. Sam had dealt with more then enough loss since Mary had died in Lawrence, but he had never let him slow that down. It only affected him in the darkness of whatever bed he was occupying during the night, when it was no one except himself and his tortured mind to haunt him. 

"_Let me see, Sam." _

All at once, every door spread out before her blew open. Cleopatra gasped as the force of the wind blew her right off her feet and onto her back, which only propelled her to alertness of her surroundings outside of Sams mind. Her eyes snapped open and met two equally confused hazel ones that were now open beneath her. 

"You were inside my mind." Sam whispered. "I heard your voice... How compassionate it sounded, and it was like all the door of my memories came open at once. I didn't want you to see them." Her heart sank as he blinked away the tears building in the corners of his eyes. "But then I did because somewhere a part of me knew that you were the only person who could do something about it. You could say something, _do _something that would make me hate myself a little bit less." 

Cleopatra pressed her lips together in a thin line and pondered her response, which came rather easily as she recognized the desperation for acceptance lingering in Sams gaze. And so she bent her head and brushed his hair away from his face to press the ghost of a kiss upon his brow. 

"You will never hear a word of judgement from me. That's not my purpose. I'm here to show you, to _prove _to you and your brother that you are capable of being loved." Sam exhaled slowly as Cleopatra ran her fingers through his hair, gold eyes dimmed by the bright lights of the panic room. When once that gaze had struck fear into the depths of his heart, it now brought comfort because it was something that belonged solely to _her. _"Do you think you can stand?" 

Together the two of them ventured out into the junkyard where Dean had been hard at work on repairing Baby for the past several days. However, upon emerging from the basement of Bobby's home, the pair found Dean lounging on the sofa in the living room with a beer poised in his fingers. His hands were stained with oil from working on the Impala, but his physical state did nothing to outmatch the gleam in his eyes when he caught sight of them. 

"Hey Dean." 

"Oh? You're walking and talking!" 

Sam nodded as he and Cleopatra parted to sit on opposite sides of the room. "Yeah!" Sam replied. "Whatever Cleopatra did must have worked. I put on my own socks. The whole nine." 

"That's, uh...'' Dean paused in the midst of his inquiry as he met his best friends pensive gaze, which told him not to press Sam too hard on the matter. "Are you sure you're okay?" 

"Yeah, my head hurts a bit. But yeah, seriously. I'm _good." _

"Good!" Dean exclaimed. "No reason to put a gift horse under a microscope then." 

Sam crossed his arms over his chest. "So, what happened with Cas?" Cleopatra felt her breath catch in her throat when Castiel flashed in her memory; Dragging her along the concrete, the way his fingers had tightened around her throat and how utterly _void _of emotion his eyes had been the closer she drew to unconsciousness. How this ''God'' had such little compassion and drew conclusions about humanity on his path of what he believed to be the righteous way. "Cleo has bruises on her neck." 

Dean frowned as Cleopatra then maneuvered her hair to hide the evidence of the pain Cas had inflicted. "C'mon out and help me with the car." Dean replied. "I'll tell you all about it then." 

It wasn't until Dean had left the house entirely that she noticed how Sam kept glancing behind him from where he sat at the table, tilting his head as he seemed to be listening to a sound she couldn't hear. "Sam?" Cleopatra asked. "What are you-" All of a sudden his hands shot up to his neck, eyes widening as Sam tried to pry away the force that had settled against his windpipe. "_Sam!"_

Sam inhaled sharply as he was thrust towards the ceiling, desperately attempting to loosen the chains that wound around his neck away from him. Cleopatra rushed toward the younger Winchester in a flurry of panic and pressed two fingers against his temple, pressing on into the chaos of his mind just enough that he was able to discern what was real and what wasn't in that moment. 

Her presence, the way she touched him, _that _was what was real. 

"You-" Incoherent words hurriedly fell off his lips as she remained rooted in place, concerned blue green eyes softening as he lowered his chin to be able to meet her gaze. "You're real." 

"Of course I'm real, sweetheart." She whispered in reply. "You aren't in the Cage, anymore. You're at Bobby's house in Sioux Falls with your brother and I. We're _real, _Sam." Sam laid a shaking hand on her hip and pressed his face into her hair. He had never had a confidant before, someone to look after him and care to his emotional needs. Dean was there, but he was _dad _and he was _mom. _He couldn't rely And after spending his entire life seeking that person out...

"You're safe." 

He had finally found her.

***

When she did sleep, Cleopatra dreamt of Castiel. She saw the annihilation of those who preached the Word and those who professed wrongly, those who dared to step into his path and in turn received the consequences of their choices. 

She saw the death of who he had been and the rise of a new King that was born from blood and greed. This _God _he believed himself to be was nothing more than a mere angel who craved power and would do whatever he had to obtain it. That he would be a better God then his Father before him. 

And sometimes when she slept, she dreamt of the way he touched her. That _flicker _of love that she often saw in the depths of the eyes that never seemed to tear away from her form. The way Castiel revered her in his words and his actions and never failed to make her feel like she was the most prized treasure in the world. 

It felt like a lifetime ago. 

"Patra," Dean quietly moved deeper into her bedroom, furrowing his brow as he gazed over her sleeping form. It was rare when she succumbed to her human nature and took to bed to regain her energy, but given how much she had endured at the hands of her angel, it really came as no surprise. "Cleopatra, kid... You hearin' me?" 

His response came in a slew of curses as she buried her head beneath her pillow. "Go away, Dean!" She snapped. "Can't a girl live out her happiest daydreams in her sleep and not have to worry about her psychopathic soulmate?" 

Dean slowly exhaled through his nose and knelt at her bedside. She wasn't wrong - Over the days past since the warehouse, she had retreated inwardly and shied away from conversations about Castiel. Many times he wondered if she believed what had happened was her fault. He wouldn't have blamed her for it.

He gently pried the pillow away from her face and bent his head to examine her expression in the dim light that came from the hall outside; The tear stains that had dried against opaque skin and the dark lines that had only recently begun to form under her eyes - His girl was a wreck, and she had mustered all her willpower to hide it from him and Sam. 

"Always carin' for others before yourself, you stupid woman." He whispered. Cleopatra sniffled as Dean dipped down and pressed the ghost of a kiss against her brow, his body radiating warmth as he brushed hair away from her face. "There's someone downstairs who believes you might be of assistance in helping us get through to Cas. Can you spare five minutes?" 

"I'll spare five minutes for my favorite Winchester-" 

Dean beamed proudly at her remark. "Me?" 

"Uh, _no-_" Cleopatra lifted her head from the bed and cupped her hands over her mouth. "Sam!! Come carry a lazy girl out of bed!" Sam peered around the doorway and grinned at his brothers perplexed expression as he bent down and wound his arms around Cleopatras form, carrying her bridal style through the main hallway and into the room where they had trapped Crowley. It was only upon being sat down that she realized who had joined them. "I got out of bed for _this?" _

The King of Hell grinned at his favorite celestial from where he stood trapped inside the Devils Trap. "Hello to you too, _Poppet." _He jeered. "My son sends his regards. It's a miracle I still _have _a son, considering my boss is going to kill me for talking to you lot!" 

"You're lucky we haven't stabbed you in the face, you scuzzy-" 

Intrigued by his words, Cleopatra held up a hand to silence Dean as she slipped past him to face the demon. "Wait, wait." She interjected. "Castiel is _your _new boss? Oh, that's rich. Evil incarnate working for evil incarnate. As if the irony couldn't get better!" 

"Oh Angel," Crowley drawled in reply. "What do you think your beloved soulmate is going to do when he finds out we've been conspiring? He already thinks you're a naughty girl for associating with Giant and his sidekick over here." He nodded to both the brothers. "We are conspiring, right?" 

"No, we just want you to stand there and look pretty." 

"I'm listening." 

Dean crossed his arms over his chest as he leaned his weight into the wall behind him. "We need a spell." He said. "A spell to bind Death." 

The look on Crowleys face was more then humorous enough to wake her from her dazed state. "Wait, _bind_? Enslave Death? Are you having a laugh?" 

"Lucifer did it." 

"That's Lucifer!" 

"A spell is a spell." Sam replied. 

"Do you really believe you can handle that kind of horsepower? Three teeny humans and their gorgeous celestial guardian? You're delusional!" Crowley exclaimed. Cleopatra pulled her bottom lip between her teeth and allowed her gaze to focus on the bright red paint used to create the Devils Trap as her fingers absently fiddled with the ends of her hair. 

"Let me make myself clear." Dean announced. "After what he did to her in the warehouse, I am _not _putting Cleopatra in that position again. She shouldn't have to have all the responsibility of taking out Cas, who may I add is her soulmate. Death is our last player on the board. He's the only one who has enough juice to do it." 

"They'll both mash us like peas. Why should I help on a suicide mission?" 

"Look." Bobby stepped forward to confront Crowley, rather intent on swaying his opinion. "Do you really want Cas ruling the Universe? Cause I sure don't. After watching him cross the proverbial line of how far he'll go in regards to the woman his Daddy created for him," The rigidness in her shoulders dissipated when Bobby clasped them tightly. "That's the last thing any of us need." 

All four men watched as the Nephilim ducked down and quickly rushed back up the stairs, taking to the shadows of the study as she clasped her hands in fervent prayer. Desperate words fell from her lips as pleas to whoever would hear her cries for his salvation. 

"_Castiel... Angel, there is still time to make this right. I forgive you." _

And somewhere in a convenience store bathroom, Godstiel heard her prayer. He turned his attention away from the deterioration of his vessel and allowed his eyes to flutter shut as he soaked in the sound of her voice. 

"_I'm always going to forgive you." _

How ridiculous was this? He was _God. _He was not meant to fear mere earthly beings, they were meant to fear _him. _Despite that, the more the creatures confined within his vessel whispered for release and snatched the breath from his very lungs, the more Castiel feared the moment they would break free of their chains and would run rampant in the world. 

"_No." _

***

**From: ** **Deano**

**To: 'Patra**

**So... We ran into a problem. When were you gonna tell me about Sammy's hallucinations? **

Cleopatra frowned as she extended her arm towards the vibrating noise coming from her nightstand. Peering at her phone screen through the darkness of the bedroom, she reread Deans message twice before swiping up to reply to him. 

**To: Deano**

**Sam wasn't lying to you, Dean. He's fine.. but only because I've been taking on his hallucinations and clearing the debris from his mind. I don’t have to tell you everything, you know. **

It was one of the many reasons why she had been constantly exhausted over the past weeks since the warehouse. After ten minutes of utter refusal from both Dean and Sam, she had reluctantly agreed to remain behind in Sioux Falls while they, along with Bobby, travelled the nine hours to retrieve the ingredient for their spell to bind Death. 

Apparently it had worked.

**To: 'Patra**

**From: Dean**

**Your boyfriend looks like his face is melting off. Death said something is going on with his vessel. Not to mention that he asked us where you were. We didn't tell him, but Death had a pretty good idea that you were hiding from him. He's.. confused. **

That wasn't surprising either. 

**To: Deano**

**Is Castiel still alive? Is there.. _any _flicker of my angel in there? **

Cleopatra anxiously awaited his response from beneath the mound of blankets she'd piled on the bed hours earlier. It was one of the only sources of comfort she could provide herself in that current moment. 

**To: 'Patra**

**Better hurry up and find him before he massacres more people. Death said he's in a campaign office. **

She snapped upward and threw on the flannel discarded on the desk, slipped on her boots underneath her pajamas, and immediately began focusing in on the Seraphims location. After a breath of hastily searching, Cleopatra allowed herself to follow the gentle tug that lead her to the front doors of a Senators campaign office. 

Trembling fingers flew across the screen of her phone just as petrified screams echoed from within the building, and before she could press send, the windows were painted in the blood of the people who resided inside. 

The phone clattered against the ground as she sprinted inside.

**To: Deano**

**Found hi-**

***

"_Castiel." _Cleopatras voice wavered in a barely audible whisper as she stood inside the main doorway of the campaign office. Her eyes followed the trails of blood that split between each individual table and wrinkled her nose at the stench of death that lingered in the air. There were so _many _innocent people lined up at these tables - blissfully oblivious, innocent people who had never anticipated being slaughtered at the hand of their new God. "What have you done?" 

The Seraphim slowly rose from his position on the floor and shook his head in a futile attempt to clear the haze that gathered over him. He blinked rapidly, clearly not certain that she was indeed standing before him, and turned away to survey the damage. "_No." _

Body after body to add to the count. 

Something most people never take into consideration is just how much blood a human body holds. According to some oncologist at the University of Florida, it is believed that the human body has the potential to hold the equivalent of a filled milk jug. But you don't _compute _just how much that is until it's spilled before you at the hands of the man you're supposed to love with every molecule of your existence. 

_Touch him. He has to know you're here. He needs to know you're real. _

Cleopatra took a reluctant step forward and brushed her fingers against the blood stained fabric of his coat. He turned towards her and allowed his gaze to flicker downward, granting himself that one moment to drink in the sight of her. Even after all he had done, Cleopatra Carter had still come to his rescue. 

"_Flower-" _

She scrambled backward just as he had stepped into the light, eyes wide and chest heaving as she finally saw the color of his eyes. The blues she had grown so accustomed to were no longer present but instead glowed a deep obsidian. 

Outside the building, her phone vibrated from where it had fallen against the concrete. _Leviathan. Leviathan. _

*** 

To say Dean and Sam were stunned as a sounding crash echoed from the kitchen and Cleopatra appeared from thin air was a bit of an understatement. However, the shock written all over their faces at her rather clumsy landing was more than enough to ease the fear that coursed through her bloodstream. 

"Well, that was uh.. quite a landing." Sam mused. The Nephilim huffed in annoyance and blew several loose strands of hair that were blocking her vision. If only he had known about her flight lessons with Gabriel as a child and how abhorrent she had been at the time. "You okay 'Patra? You look..." Both brothers turned around at her lack of response and frowned at her expression. Her face was drained of its usual color, bright eyes anxiously flickering around the room as she struggled to regain her breath. "Actually, you look terrified." 

Cleopatra remained silent as she leaned over Dean to type in "_Massacre At Campaign Office'' _into the search engine on his laptop. Multiple articles of that title and pictures of the murders appeared on screen, and she excused herself by turning away from them once again. "Here's the hard truth of the matter, boys." She said weakly, reaching outward to grasp the bottle of whiskey. "You can't save someone who doesn't want to be saved." 

***

Dean got touchy around drink four. Cleopatra was simply looking for a distraction, a way to numb the dread and heartbreak that was infesting her heart. By the time her mind quieted down and the alcohol took control of her body, she was curled up in Deans lap with her face buried in the crook of his shoulder. His gaze remained fixed on the wall before him, hand gently ghosting over the curve of her hip until she reached outward and settled it against the strip of visible skin. "_Kid._" He whispered lowly in her ear. "You and I don't do well together when we're drunk." 

"But you," Cleopatra whined in reply. She was completely oblivious to the way his body was reacting to her. The rigidity of his muscles and the inability to meet her gaze, the pounding of his heartbeat as she was _so _close and if he angled his head just right- "You're _real _and _here_. You're not a psychopath and you've always guarded my heart better than any of the men I've known." Dean inhaled sharply when her lips skimmed over the curve of his neck just enough to send shivers coursing through his body. "I'm so proud of us." 

She associated a sense with every member of Team Free Will. Castiel was touch - In the way he enveloped her in his embrace and shielded her from the cruelty of the world. In the way he never failed to make her feel as if she was home. Dean was smell - In which he carried the scent of her lavender oil, the grease of his Impala and gunpowder on his skin. He was something _familiar,_ something comforting. Sammy, well.. Sammy was sight. In which she often watched his greatest strengths play out like scenes from a movie - His perseverance in the face of things that troubled him, his strength, his heart. He encompassed everything she desired to be in life. 

Dean sighed softly and buried his face in her hair. He spread the fingers of his free hand across her other knee and allowed the dance of her fingertips along his skin to ease the tension from his body. "Don't you worry, sweetheart. I'm proud of us too." 

Sam abruptly appeared from his spot in the living room and burst into the kitchen just as another crashing sound resounded through the house, and a haphazard looking Castiel appeared in the doorway before them. 

"_Sam-" _

_"_Cas!"

Just the sound of his voice was enough to sober her up. 

Cleopatra jumped to her feet, albeit steadily, as she stood before the angel. Desperate eyes bore into her own, and she pushed away all thoughts of rejection to surge forward as he fell into her arms. "I need help." 

***

When Dean pulled her and Castiel into the lab and they began preparing for the ritual to send the creatures back to Purgatory, she didn't move a muscle from the moment they sat on the ground. They had maneuvered to where Cas was lying limp in her arms, head lolling against her shoulder as he instructed Sam and Dean on where to obtain the proper ingredients. 

''Flower," Castiel said. She turned her attention away from the brothers and angled her head downward to meet his gaze. There was so much _sadness _and despair lingering in his eyes. "I'm sorry... I'm so sorry, for everything. Let that be my final declaration to my soulmate, how much regret I feel for what I did to Sam, to Dean... I laid hands on _you-_" 

Cleopatra silenced his words with a gentle smile and a single digit pressed against the flushed petals of his lips. "It's forgiven." She whispered. "Always." 

Castiel swallowed the bile threatening to rise in his throat. When it really came down to it, he didn't deserve her forgiveness. Memories of bruises and broken sobs flashed before his mind when only days before he had been standing in this very spot, fingers tightly wound around her windpipe to snatch the air from her lungs. The way she purposefully avoided confrontation with him and even fled in terror when she'd seen his massacre at the Campaign office. 

"One more time. Please.. do me the honor of a kiss, Cleo." 

"It would be my pleasure, Angel." 

She obliged to his request hastily and sought out his mouth, trembling hands sinking into his hair as Castiel arched his body into her own. The very presence of him was overwhelming in the way he caressed her, the warmth that radiated from his body and the sounds she drew from the back of his throat. Breathtakingly _beautiful_things she could only attribute with him. 

It only lasted a moment, as all good things do for those who are damned from their very start, but she parted from him leaving her taste lingering in the corners of his mouth and engraved on his memory. 

_Home. _

_"_Dean, if there was time... If I was strong enough, I would fix the damage I did to Sam right here and now." Dean turned away from the wall to face the couple on the floor and narrowed his eyes as Cleopatra buried her face in Castiels hair. His heart was barely able to handle the fire of jealously that was stoked each time he watched the two of them together. "I just wanted to make amends before I die." 

"You are not dying-" Cleopatra snapped. 

"Okay." Dean interjected. 

"Is it working?" 

"Does it make you feel better?" 

"No." Castiel said. "You?" 

"Not a bit." 

Cleopatra wrapped her arms through his and stood to her feet, slowly moving his free arm to wind around her shoulder. She grunted under the pressure of his body weight and steadied her balance to ensure he didn't fall. "Just a couple more minutes, sweetie." She said. "Don't you dare disappear on me. Tell me a story." 

That seemed to brighten his spirits. "What about this time?" He mused in response. "Creation? Gabriels involvement with the Platypus? The Exodus from Egypt?" Cleopatra pressed her lips together in a thin line as she rifled through her biblical knowledge in hopes she could grasp the concept of a story she barely remembered. 

And then it hit her - That sole second when her eyes found the Enochian inscription of his name on the inside of her forearm. "Tell me the story of us." Cleopatra replied. 

"Once upon a time, there was a Nephilim and her Seraph." His voice became weaker as his body swayed back and forth in her embrace. The longer he stood, the more his strength wavered. It wouldn't be long before Castiel fell to his knees. "And sometimes I think they were damned from their beginning." 

"And how did the Seraph feel about the Nephilim?" 

He peered at her through thick lashes and pondered his response. Verbalizing his emotions was not a skill set angels had been programmed with upon birth; but every time Castiel looked into the eyes of the woman who held his future, he became desperate to learn how to pour his heart out to her. To _tell _her what she meant to him. They often said too much heart was his problem, and they were right. "He adored her with everything he had."

Dean rushed out of the room upon realizing that Sam had gone missing, cursing under his breath as they were just about at the peak of the eclipse Death had said he would be recreating. He hastily scribbled the sigil on the brick before him and stepped back, wrenching Cleopatra backward as she steadied Castiel before it. 

"You better not die on me, you stupid Seraphim!" 

Castiel glanced over his shoulder at Dean, Bobby and Cleopatra. "I'm sorry Dean." He said quietly. Resigned blues flickered until they swept across her body, steadily rising upward until they locked with her own. "And Cleopatra-" 

"What was the end of the story?" 

He never had time to tell her the ending to the tale of the fallen angel and his Nephilim, but there was a fraction of the moment - just a _second _\- that she caught the words he mouthed before the gates to Purgatory snapped open. The same phrase Castiel often whispered when they woke together, or when they were secluded away from the rest of the world. When it was just the two of them, he often spoke words of reverence in the native tongue she still didn't understand.

"_Olani Hoath Ol."_

A blinding light filled the room as the souls of those who occupied Purgatory flowed from Castiels vessel and were once again trapped behind the gates as the gap in the wall closed behind them. "_Cas!" _Cleopatra surged forward and gently cradled his head in her lap, running her fingers through his matted hair as Dean scanned him for any signs of life. "Dean-" 

The break in her voice caught his attention as he lifted his chin and recognized the tears she was trying so desperately to keep at bay. That was one thing he understood, the reluctance in allowing herself to fall apart in front of other people. He preferred to mourn in the dark, in the silence, alone. "He's cold, sweetheart." He whispered. "He's not breathing-" 

"He's not _gone." _She snarled. Bobbys face fell when she tightly pulled him into her embrace and wound her arms around his torso. "No. We haven't-We've barely started our forever." With Bobby and Dean being human, both men were unable to see her shield the pair from their sight when she wrapped her entire wing span around them, downy white feathers obscuring their view. It was one of the few moments she could allow herself to fall apart. "Castiel... You can't go yet, angel." She pleaded. "Not _yet." _

Bloodstained fingers traced the contours of his face, around his eyelids and just over his lips when his eyes snapped open and met her own. A choked gasp echoed in the air as Cleopatra parted her wings to let Castiel sit up at the waist. "Why would I go?" He replied. "We have too much to do to waste any more time, Flower." 

His response caught her totally off guard. "I despise you-" 

"You really don't though." He retorted while Dean and Bobby slowly pulled him to his feet. "I'm amazed I'm alive. I really over reached... I will find some way to redeem myself to you. I promise." Cleopatra smiled softly as she squeezed his hand. 

"You don't have to beg forgiveness from me. I already told you, all is forgiven." 

She should've - Well, they really _all _should've known that it wasn't going to be that easy. They weren't going to send the souls back to Purgatory and walk away without blood stained hands and a whole mess of consequences to deal with. 

Cleopatra gasped as Castiel gripped the back of her shirt and shoved her forward straight into Dean. "you need to run, _now!_" He yelled. "I can't hold them back, they held on inside me-" 

"Who held on?" Dean queried. Cleopatras eyes widened as she remembered what she had seen inside of the campaign office. How dark his eyes were compared to their normal color, nearly pure obsidian. _Leviathan. _

_"_No." She whispered in disbelief. "No, no, _no-" _

"Go get Sam." Dean urged. She watched on in horror as the body of her beloved contorted in pain, doubled over at the waist and desperately trying to fight off the creatures that had held on within him. "Cleopatra, go get _Sam-" _

_"_Screw you, Winchester!" She snarled. "I am _not _leaving him!" 

"Leviathan! I-I can't _fight _them! RUN!" 

Bobby sprinted out of the room in search of Sam while Cleopatra and Dean watched on helplessly as Castiel changed into... well, something - or _someone _else. By the time he stood up straight again, there was no flicker of anything that remotely resembled the angel. "Cas?" 

"Too late! Cas is, well... Cas is dead. We run the show now." He jeered. Cleopatra gaped as Dean was thrown across the room and slammed into the back wall, and the attention of the Leviathan who possessed Castiel's vessel suddenly turned towards her. "And you, the _Nephilim. _We've heard so much about you! I see how you cower in our presence. Funny that you fear which you claim to love." 

Dean watched on as Cleopatra puffed out her chest, eyes solely focused on the angel as he made a move to touch her chest and cast her away. What he wasn't counting on was the complete opposite - He recognized the tendrils of Nephilim grace swirling around her feet and curling around her thighs, eyes so wildly alive and _enraged _that told him Leviathan Castiel was oblivious to what was coming.

The moment he touched her chest, the vessel was thrown across the room and impacted against the wall where the Purgatory sigil was drawn. He stumbled, if only for a moment, and grinned upon regaining his balance. 

That was when Dean saw the outline of wings against the wall. Bright, _enormous _wings that nearly spread out along the length of the room. The only times Dean had seen angels unveil their wings was in a show of power to let the other person know who in the immediate vicinity was in charge. 

"Oh, you beauty." Cleopatra stiffened as he circled around her like a predator to its prey. He may have had Castiel's vessel, his face, his hands and eyes... but the being inside, _whatever _it was, was intent on wreaking havoc. "The things we could do with you..." Her gaze hardened as he stood by the door and grinned wickedly. "This is going to be _so _much fun!"


	50. Loss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I can't hear his heartbeat, see his eyes... He's just gone."

[any dialogue written in solely italics within this chapter is Hallucifer)

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Loss. 

Characterized by death. Invoked by cruelty. Portrayed by grief... Or rage. 

For Cleopatra, loss often comes after a short period of happiness. Reagan and her father were taken in the midst of domestic bliss. Gabriel came not too long after their heart to heart concerning her future with Castiel, and Cas... Well, he was taken in the midst of trying to save the planet, which in turn would have saved her. 

It only dug a deeper hole for her grave. 

Watching him walk into the lake and being powerless to do anything was one of the hardest things Cleopatra Carter has ever had to do. Even then, coming to terms with the fact that she could no longer hear his heartbeat, or see his face... 

_It wasn't fair. _

******

You see... There was this boy she loved. He was broken. Messy. An utterly _beautiful _disaster, and she watched him die. 

"How many of you are in there?" 

She had a feeling she will watch him die quite a bit in their time together. 

Letting go of things are hard. However, letting go of the one thing that gave you a purpose? That kept you _fighting, _urging you to press on day by day? It's very nearly impossible. But for Cleopatra, it's a good thing there's two humans who would fight like hell before letting her give up. 

"A hundred? More?" 

She wants to talk. Practically _begs _herself to mouth off to the thing infecting Castiel's vessel - Hoping that if she annoys it enough, maybe it has enough juice to kill her too. Death would be much less painful at this point. But no matter how hard she tries, no words come out of her mouth. 

Not like its surprising. 

"Your vessel is going to explode." Practically paralyzed in her place, Cleopatra allows her eyes to flicker over to where Dean laid several feet away. "Don't do anything too strenuous. In fact.. If I were you, I'd pack it up and call it a day!"

Then _he _decides to speak, and everything comes crashing down. What happened and what's going on suddenly becomes _real_. She can't deny the truth of it any more. Can't suppress the grief bubbling low in her belly and the swell of tears threatening to fall down her face. Her clothes are spattered in his blood and her hands won't stop trembling no matter how hard she tries to make them, but simply looking at him walking out of that room and away from her is enough to break the dam. 

And she lets the despair, the grief, the guilt fester until it can no longer be contained. Her breaking point comes in a piercing cry that nearly shatters Deans ears as she sinks to the floor of the lab, and he rushes forward to embrace her in his hold. 

_He's gone he_'s _gone he's gone he's gone _

Something breaks inside of her in that moment. When its nothing but her trembling in Deans embrace, begging for the sweet release of death just to see Castiel again, something she's been fighting against since birth snaps. Maybe it's the chain that Aeron claimed had kept her isolated from her darkness, she has no idea. 

***

Leaden footsteps lead him to the water plant. The vessel is practically bursting at the seam by the time he arrives, but the Leviathan are still seeing flashes of images as Castiel fights them. He thrashes and curses up a storm in Enochian when he - _they _feel a wave of sudden sadness wash over them. It takes a moment to realize it is not their own, but that of the soulmate. The Nephilim they'd let live. 

The last thing he remembers before sinking into the depths of the lake is the flash of a smile and eyes that mirrored the sun. 

"Oh, _hell-" _Bobby muttered as the water rippled and swirled black around Castiel's vessel and moved downriver, thus infecting the whole of the plant. Water that filtered into the homes of many, many people. "What do we do now?" 

Sam murmured softly under his breath as he cradled Cleopatra in his arms. She looked so small compared to the younger Winchester, who upon being drawn from his hallucination had been put in charge of caring for their Nephilim. Sam had been the only one besides Bobby to lose a significant other, and given that Cleopatra really had no relationship with the older man, Dean thought it better to put her into Sams hands. 

"The Leviathan.. If they're in the pipes, they've got themselves a highway to anywhere." 

"Awesome." Dean paused and knelt down, rifling through the weeds until he produced a sopping wet trench coat. _Cas' _trench coat. "Okay, well.. Now we know. He's gone." Cleopatra pressed her hand tightly over her mouth to keep her sobs hidden as her face remained tucked into Sams torso. 

"Rest in peace, if that's in the cards." 

"_Stupid _son of a-" Dean growled as he rung the water from the coat. He knew Cleopatra would want it once it was fully dried. "Didn't even think about his best girl, the things he'd be leaving behind-" 

"Well, he was friends with us, wasn't he?" Bobby replied. "You can't get much dumber then that. Besides," He stepped backward and turned around to face Sam, who simultaneously stepped forward so that Bobby could just barely touch Cleopatras head with the tips of his fingers. "Think he knew that he was leaving his best girl in capable hands." 

Bobby lead the three of them back to the Impala where Dean proceeded to help Sam maneuver into the back, careful not to rouse Cleopatra as she slept against his chest. She hadn't even made a sound of protest when Castiel had gone into the lake. Had barely spoken since they'd left the lab, and he was beginning to grow concerned. 

Sam whispered to her the entire way back to Sioux Falls. He could tell by the way she was breathing and how relaxed her muscles felt underneath his fingers that she was at least somewhat conscious, so he did he best to comfort her the only way he knew how because it was the same way she did it for him. _Words _and _touches. _Gentle caresses against her scalp, whispered words of affirmation that everything would be okay in the end. That she would get through this. 

Dean carried her inside and laid her in the curve of Sams body on the sofa. Her eyes fluttered open, if only for a moment, and met his own through the darkness of the study. "_Dean._" She whispered. The older Winchester froze and knelt down to meet her gaze, gingerly taking her hand into his own. "_Thank you." _

He swallowed down his confessions and forced a smile. She didn't need to hear the tell-tales of his heart quite yet. Not when Cas' loss was still so raw. "You're welcome, sweetheart." He replied. "Gotta take care of my best friends girl." 

Sam slept soundly behind her throughout the rest of the night. Sleep wasn't a necessity at this point - Because where she stood right now, Cleopatra had two options. She could stay behind with the boys and Bobby and assist in defeating the Leviathan. It's what Castiel _would've _wanted her to do. 

Or she could run, because that's what she was good at. Running away from the inevitability of loss that came with the job of being a hunter. Running would lead her somewhere only she knew of, a barren land, somewhere she could mourn the loss of her soulmate. Where she could purify his memory. Or taint it. Whichever came first.

_Run and hide,_

_Or stay and fight?_

By the time Cleopatra was fully alert and attentive to what was going on around her, the tension in the room had thickened considerably since she had eased her mind into complete silence. Sam was tense from where he sat behind her, hand resting against the curve of her hip as he explained his predicament with Lucifer to Dean and Bobby. How it wasn't just flashbacks of the Cage, but had upgraded to hallucinations. The inability to tell what's real from what isn't.

"She's been mending things inside my head, 'Patra has. Every time she sits down and goes back inside, something mends. She keeps Lucifer at bay while working on repairing the wall Cas broke. I figured that with her help, I could just try and hold onto the safety bar and ride it out, y'know? But it's getting more specific." 

"As in specifically what?"

His touch roused her from her dozed off state. "He creates this.. _facade, _Dean." She replied wearily as Sam helped her to sit up at the waist. "He's trying to make him believe that Sam is still stuck in the Cage. Almost like he'd never gotten rescued by Castiel to begin with. And if I'm right, which I usually am-" Sam gasped as she touched two fingers to his temple and followed his gaze to the table where Lucifer waved giddily. "He's seeing him right now." 

_"Hiya gorgeous. Was wondering when you were gonna say something to me." _

"Sam, y'know he's not real right?" 

Sam swallowed the knot growing in his throat. "He says the same thing about you." Cleopatra stood to her feet and pushed through Dean and Bobby to the kitchen, grimacing as she peered into the fridge and saw a scarce amount of food. "What're you doing, Cleo?" 

"I feel _disgusting_. I'm sad and tired and absolutely _famished, _so I'm going to wave my hands here." She wiggled her fingers and snickered as three steak dinners appeared in front of her. "And while you two chow down, I'm gonna go shower. I'll eat when I come back." 

"Mind if I claim that spare steak dinner? Seeing as, you know, you can make food appear from nowhere." Bobby asked. 

Cleopatra waved her hand dismissively. ''Knock yourself out, Singer. Just try not to pig out." 

The eager chatter of the boys on the first floor faded once she reached the bathroom. Once the door was shut, Cleopatra braced her hands against the sink and allowed her eyes to flicker upward and gaze at the reflection that stared back at her. Dark circles lined the space under her eyes. Her skin was paler then she'd ever seen it, spatters of Castiels blood still clinging to her cheeks and neck like newly applied tattoos. Never meant to fade or be washed away. Normally glossy black hair was matted and slick with oil at the roots from lack of washing.

"You foolish, _foolish _girl." She whispered, grimacing as her fingers brushed against the bruises on her neck. "Look at what love did to you."

The jacket came off first, followed by the worn _Washburn _shirt. Then her jeans pooled at her ankles, along with her socks, and she stood bare to herself for the first time in days. The bruises on her neck from Castiel's near strangulation burned like a newly placed brand - and she wondered if this was her punishment for being stupid enough to go and fall in love with an angel. 

_You don't deserve happiness. Why would the Destruction of Heaven get a soulmate? Why would **he **fall in love with **you**?_

The shower head stuttered before coming to life, hot water drizzling through her fingers as Cleopatra stepped under the spray. The tension in her muscles receded as it hit her skin and trailed through the blood stains until gathering at her feet, disappearing down the drain in a swirl of crimson. 

_"Do you ever dream, Castiel?" _

_"Given that I don't sleep, no. Why do you ask?" _

She was a powerful being. Rightfully feared by Heaven, revered by Hell. Everyone wanted - Wanted to _be _her, kill her, befriend her. Nephilim were an abomination. They weren't meant to be this powerful. Weren't meant to exist, weren't meant to be running in terror their entire lives if they manage to live that long. If she could evade Heaven for nearly thirty years and cope with the losses she'd endured of her father, brother, and Gabriel.. Cleopatra could do this too. She could cope with his loss.

She had to. 

Numb fingers massaged shampoo through the roots of her hair down to the ends and repeated the process as she remembered one of their favorite conversations. She'd dared to ask Castiel about dreaming, what he dreamt of, and what he imagined their future to look like. 

"_Because I do. I've dreamt more in the time I've known you then I have in my lifetime. I dream of our future, Angel. A happier future where I get to marry you.. where I am privileged to love you." _

_"And why is that a dream?" _

Her entire body trembled as Cleopatra remembered the answer she'd given him. A fresh wave of tears blurred her vision, the broken sound of grief bubbling in her throat as she sank to her knees in the shower. A life where she'd be privileged enough to love him, to be loved in return and to spend the rest of her days with him would've been a gift. Having his child would be priceless. Seeing him tucked away in the shadows of a nursery cradling his child against his chest, performing his role of father... It seemed like a distant future she wasn't allowed to have. 

"_Happiness is a luxury for us. You and I... defying everything you've ever known to be together. Running from Heaven... from Hell.. It'll catch up to us. We aren't meant to live happily ever after. I think in the long run we were just made to suffer." _

She was glad that the shower was loud enough to mask the sound of her hysterical, gut wrenching sobs. Flashes of Castiel's smile, his touches, the way he'd let himself _live _when he was with Sam and Dean. The way he made her feel and the way she _thrived _around him and the way he was so utterly, helplessly devoted to her. Gone. 

"_You can live without me, Flower. You have to, because one day, I'm going to have to learn to live without you. That might be the day I give into it." _

_"Give into what?" _

_"Human emotion. Anger, grief, guilt... The day I lose you is the day I become just a little bit more human. Where I let myself feel it, and that's when it'll all be over." _

Her body jolted to life when Cleopatra realized the water had turned frigid, which was more than an appropriate cue to exit the shower. She reached for the towel and hastily dried herself off, slipping into the sweats and bra from the bag she'd stored in the Impala for emergencies. Her phone was still sitting on the bed where she'd left it. 

"Where the heck did I put my shirt?"

The screen glowed with the notification of a new message.

**Mom: Hey honey, I haven't heard from you in a while. Call me when you can, okay? Every Momma needs to hear from her daughter.**

**"**Patra?" Deans baritone echoed softly in the silence as she gazed at him over her shoulder. "Wanted to talk to you about something. Do you have a minute?" Her breathing stuttered as she watched his eyes sweep across her form - lingering, if only for a moment, on her chest - before they flickered upward to settle on her own. Just the way he _looked _at her was enough to make her knees shake. He always stared at her when he thought she wasn't looking. Always smiled a little bit more when she was around.

Cleopatra barely managed to nod her approval before Dean entered the room and shut the door behind him. "Look, kid... I'm going to absolutely lose my mind if I don't tell you this." His voice dropped several octaves as he slowly moved to close the gap between them. The closer he drew to her, the more her brain short circuited. _This cannot go like this. No. You just lost Castiel. You can't-_

_"_Dean-" 

He held up his hands to silence her. "I've been in this life for as long as I can remember. I've seen more, lost more and _loved _more in my lifetime than I ever anticipated I would. When you came into it with Cas, you never once treated us any differently. You always came when we called and never thought to criticize us even when things went bad. And that happened plenty of times." Calloused hands ran over her elbows and travelled downward until they linked with her own. "You've kept my demons at bay, fought the nightmares away... You've done more then I would've ever had the balls to ask you to do. At this point," He paused for a moment to swallow the break in his voice. "I am convinced you're the only reason I'm still alive." 

Dean was so close now. Despite how overly stimulated her senses were, she could smell the whiskey and gunpowder lingering in the air. Feel the callouses of his fingertips on her skin and hear the pounding of his heart. Whatever he was about to tell her was enough to send him into a emotional frenzy.

"I think that's why I fell in love with you." Cleopatra jarred so roughly it was almost as if she'd been shot in the chest. "Because you value _me, _this broken, pathetic, absolute excuse of a man-" He released his hold on her hand and slowly moved until his fingers wound around the curve of her hip. It was the most intimate gesture he'd ever attempted with her, and if he moved just a fraction of an inch _closer-_

"Dean," His name fell off her lips like the words to a prayer. _"Please-" _One foot propelled forward, and before he realized what was going on, she had allowed him to pin her beneath his body against the wall by the bathroom. His knee urged her legs open just a little bit wider, but he made no effort to lean forward and close the little proximity left between them. 

It suddenly became hard to swallow as images of Castiel submerging himself in the lake danced in her vision. The darkness of his eyes when he was no longer in control, but submissive to the Leviathan. The way he begged forgiveness just before leaving her forever. Another loss, another loved one to mourn. 

"Tell me to stop, and I'll stop. We'll never talk about this again." He rumbled lowly, hands tightening on her waist as his lips crested over the shell of her ear. "The temptation of you is _deadly,_ Cleopatra-" 

"Then succumb to the sin, Dean." 

And with that he surged forward to claim her mouth with his own, hands never moving beyond where they laid on her waist. Even the fact that she wore very little clothing was disregarded as Dean slowly worked her lips to the point where she could barely resist, muscles weakened by the utter bliss that came with his kiss. Her fingers raked through his short hair and tightly pulled, eliciting a deep groan from the back of his throat that gave her the opportunity to deepen it. 

"_Sinner-" _

_"_Always." It wasn't until the need for air became dire that she was the first to pull away, cocking her head as she studied him. Flushed skin, quivering lips and shaking hands that seemed unable to settle. Dean Winchester was a sculpted masterpiece who deserved the reckless love he so often chased after in his one night stands... but she wasn't the one to give it to him. "Dean, I _just _lost my soulmate. The pain that comes with that.. it's incomprehensible. You and Sammy mean the world to me, and unfortunately, that's why I have to break you." 

Dean didn't even have enough time to react before all of her belongings flew into the duffel bag at the bed, her clothes reappeared on her person, and she disappeared in a flutter of wings. 

***

Sam was on a simple supply run. A run that should've been _longer _because if he had been gone long enough for her to make a getaway, it would've been so much easier to leave. She wouldn't have had to face the guilt of leaving the boys, wouldn't have had to make false promises of return to the one person who probably understood her as well as Cas did. 

"Woah!" _Crap. _Cleopatra shrieked as a pair of arms encircled her waist and pulled her back against Baby, stunned hazel eyes narrowing in confusion at the packed bag slung over her shoulder. The younger Winchester grimaced as he fought against the flurry of wings pounding at his sternum while Cleopatra thrashed in his embrace. “Where are you going in such a rush, Cleo?” 

There was no use in trying to lie to him. Cleopatra was an open book to Sam just as she had been to Castiel. He would've been able to call her out on any lies she tried to pull, and after her incursion with Dean, she didn't have the strength to try. "I'm running away, Sam. Running away from you two, from hunting, I'm running home and away from Dean's heart." 

Dread filled the younger Winchesters expression. "He told you, didn't he?" 

She nodded. "Castiel has been _it _for me since the start. As soon as I met him, something deep inside of me knew that there would never be anyone else. He was my best friend, my confidant.. my soulmate who was so mentally unstable he thought it would be a better solution to sacrifice himself and his vessel to obtain those souls for his war. You and your brother," She flicked her hand in the direction of the house. "You were too stubborn to listen to his pleas for help. So was I. That's on _us." _Cleopatra ran her hands over her face as Sam digested her words. "I cannot deal with caring for another persons heart when my own is in shambles. I need to heal. I need time to-to process what's happened, and I can't do that here." 

It's so hard not looking Sam in the face. She can practically _feel _his sadness. He wonders if it's something he said, something he didn't do, whether or not he tried hard enough. And as she listens to his thoughts wander, she comes to love him just a little bit more. 

The Nephilim stood to the tips of her toes and brought Sams head just low enough that she could brush a kiss against his cheek. He took advantage of the moment and wrapped his arms tightly around her waist, hoisting her several more inches into the air. A squeal of surprise broke past her lips when he nuzzled the crook of her neck to commit the lingering scent of lavender to memory. Because when she was gone, that's all she'd be - Just another part of the Winchester Gospels. Another person gave up on them. 

Sam was glad when she didn't speak, because then that gave him a window of opportunity to commit the sight of her to memory. The feeling of leather beneath his fingers. The way her eyes mirrored the sun. Her fierce devotion to the people she loved and how she _ached _when they were hurt in her care. 

“Please don’t leave us.” He whispered pleadingly, fingers tangling in her hair as he slowly eased Cleopatra back onto the ground. Cleopatra pressed her lips into a thin line as she brought her eyes to meet Sams. “We need you. Cleopatra... _I _need you.” 

That didn't deter her, unfortunately. Sams chest deflated as she feigned a weak smile and took a step backward. “I’m just a phone call away, Sammy. I’m not leaving you. Not now, not ever." She paused in the middle of her sentence to grip the bag behind her. "I’m just… going away. One day I will come back. Yes...” Gazing around the Junkyard, Cleopatra Carter said a silent prayer for its safety and those who occupied it. "I will come back." 

Before Sam could even form a coherent argument, she snapped her fingers and vanished from his sight, leaving nothing but the scent of lavender behind in her wake. 

***

Looking for Crowley’s throne room is difficult, but it’s not entirely impossible. After several days of interrogating high level demons in places Cleopatra would’ve never stepped into before hunting, one finally squealed and confessed Aerons location. 

Fortunately, she didn’t have far to go. 

“Ah, Poppet. I see you’ve gone to great extents to get my attention. To what do I owe this pleasure?” 

The words flowed from her mouth a lot quicker then she expected them to. “Castiel is dead.” Spoken numbly, without a trace of emotion. Had it been under different circumstances, the utter shock written all over the Cambions face would’ve been laughable. 

“So your boyfriend has finally croaked, has he?" Aeron twirled his blade in between his fingers and adjusted his position on the hood of her car. "What exactly does that mean for you?"

"You told me that one day I'd give into my inner darkness." Cleopatra replied. "That you were my _doom. _A revered Cambion, the heir to the throne of Hell... Daddy's perfect little boy who seeks to destroy the only Nephilim to survive Heaven's death sentence." 

Aerons smile grew as he comprehended exactly where she was going. "Ah. So you're looking to finally claim your throne?" He waved his hand and produced the same crown she'd been shown months before hand. "How far you're willing to go to get the revenge you want?" 

She knew what he was trying to do. Here she stood on the edge of a precipice, teetering dangerously close to the edge of darkness. Aeron was looking to push her in and ensure that she never came back up out of it. And if Cleopatra peered through the darkness, she could just barely make out an indistinguishable figure on the other side of the chasm. 

He was just too far for her to reach.

"You told me I had a throne to claim." Aeron leaned forward and opened his legs just wide enough that she could fit between them, hovering the circlet over her head as she bowed low enough for him to place it. Any inkling of caution or compassion Cleopatra had once carried dissipated when she lifted her head to meet his eyes. No trace of her purity, of her heart for humanity.. Nothing. It was almost as if she was just.. _empty _without him here. 

That's what Aeron and Crowley had been counting on.

"I think it's time Heaven finds out what happens when you let the abomination out."


	51. Destruction

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He who plans to hurt others also hurts himself.   
\- Aesop

Of all the people she'd known with any association to Heaven or Hell, Crowley and Aeron were the only two who could provide a location for the nearest door that would take her to Heaven. They worked diligently to change her appearance, her attire and gave her an image that was fitting for the Destruction of Heaven. She left the throne room of Hell with a blade on her hip and the thought of bloodshed fresh on her mind. 

_This is not you. This is not who-_  


"The last thing I need right now is my conscience keeping me from doing what needs to be done." 

Heaven was different then the way Castiel compared it. Cleopatra had imagined walking into a lobby, and beyond that lobby sat thousands of hallways that lead to peoples individual Heavens. The doorway Crowley had brought her to emerged onto a gold path - one that lead into a pair of pearl gates and in the great beyond, stood the Heaven she had been told about. 

She took that moment to marvel at the sheer majesty of it all. Her father had been _born_here and had grown up here. This was the place he claimed that Gods glory dwelt. If Cleopatra hadn't been so hellbent on showing the angels the error of their ways, she would've said it was the most beautiful place she had ever been to. 

"_Hey you!" _

A tragically beautiful ending for the Heavenly Host. 

Autopilot kicked in after the third angel was dead. There was at least a dozen of them between the inside and outside of the Gates, sent by their superior to ward off an attack. Her muscles ached and her ears rang as their screams echoed in the air, but she paid no attention to the bodies at her feet because all she could see was _him._

Castiel's ghost haunted her and she did _everything _possible to ignore his presence that seemed to be lingering around every corner, but Cleopatra was so fueled by grief and rage that his memory was the only thing to make her take that next step. 

There were burnt wings imprinted into the ground at every turn, and the smell of blood was pungent in the air. Cleopatra braced her hands against her knees and took a moment to regain her breath before she snapped her fingers, and the doors to Heaven broke off their hinges. 

"Welcome home, Cleopatra."

*** 

Somewhere hidden deep inside Heaven's main HQ, Naomi jumped to attention as alarms that hadn't sounded in millennia began to ring, and every molecule in her vessel froze at the sound. 

“Why— Why are those alarms going off?!” 

Battalions worth of angelic soldiers ran past her in the halls, and her eyes frantically searched for her second in command, Luke.

“Those are the Nephilim alarms!” Luke had chosen the vessel of a younger man who couldn’t have been any older then twenty when he possessed him. “They haven’t gone off since the boy died, but they’re coming from _inside_ Heaven. There’s a Nephilim here, and she’s on the warpath.” 

The Heavenly Host had not been terrified of an outside source since the ancient days - when they had their Father to ward off intruders from entering their home. But now they stood alone against an enemy who they could not beat.

Such fear had not been felt in the history of Creation.

“Gather all those with scholarly information about the sigils. There must be one meant to ward against Nephilim.” Naomi demanded. “Send the lesser ranks to my office, barricade the doors. She cannot make it in here!” 

There was too much at stake. 

*** 

By the time she arrived at her destination, there are _thousands _of them lining Heaven's halls. Cleopatra paid no attention to them - didn't smell the blood, see the wings, she simply no longer _felt _the death of Castiel's siblings. It's what they deserved for not coming to his aid when he needed them most. 

What was a thousand more dead angels?? At the rate she was going, the entirety of Heaven could die by her hand. 

Her steps slowed when she reached the hallway that held each soul with a _C _name. Josiah had never told her about where angels and demons go where they die, but she had simply assumed they went to Heaven. These were the heavens of those long gone. Her brother should've been there. Her _father-_

"No. _No!_" Something inside her felt paralyzed at the thought of the disappointment and regret that those she loved felt towards her. The ones Cleopatra had abandoned to accomplish her personal vendetta because of her selfishness. "Stop-" 

The purer part of her, the human part, started screaming loudly enough that it rattled her teeth and thrummed painfully against her skull. It was almost similar to how she’d watched Sam’s soul write inside his body when he’d been consuming demon blood.

But as it always does, or has tried to, that darkness prevailed, and Cleopatra pressed on in the direction of those responsible for her soulmates demise.

*** 

“Oh Naomi!!” 

Almost everything in her office had been warded and barricaded, the angels in her charge wielding every kind of Heavenly weapon powerful enough to destroy even the Archangels, but Naomi wasn't sure if it was enough. She was the child of a higher class angel, not an archangel, which meant something _could _kill her. 

"Don't you want to know how I got in here? You angels.. You sit so high on your golden pedestals that it's _pathetic. _Always following orders, no matter the outcome. No matter the consequences. It really is a shame that the demonic are so much smarter then you." 

Naomi felt her stomach roll as Cleopatra's voice echoed down the hallways. It'd take her a while to find the right door, but the Nephilim was smart enough to know that the time will come to break down the doors, and Naomi would be found. 

"I don't care about death anymore. Death is my _friend._" Such a sobering thought for someone who had been weeping at every tragedy that befell her. "I've killed so many of your kind that they should award me for it. You're all going to pay. The ones outside have already paid their wages by my hand. Castiel didn't-" Naomi pressed her lips together at the break in her voice. "He didn't deserve to die the way he did, abandoned by his kind! He didn't deserve to _suffer!" _

Luke stood at the head of the angels who guarded her door, and upon hearing the crashing down the hall, he turned around to face his commander. "Naomi," He said. "If I were you, I'd call on the Winchesters or any known affiliates of the girl. Fallen angels.. anybody. These sigils will not keep us from harm."

There would be no more death here. 

"_To whoever can hear this prayer... This an urgent distress call from Heaven.." _

Zion Michaels gasped in the middle of making his dinner for the night, the pan in his hand clattering against the floor as the high pitched ringing of angel radio echoed in his head. The words were garbled as they had been since the first week he'd lived on Earth, but it was enough - _Cleopatra Carter... thousands dead... Heaven at risk... - _for him to return to the table by the front door of his apartment and grab his angel blade, a light coat of dust covering the metal as it hadn't been used since he'd fallen. 

Returning to his phone, Zion opened his most recent calls and pressed the one nearest to the top as he cradled his blade in his hand. 

"_Dean Winchester here." _

The former angel's face became grim. "Winchester, this is Zion Michaels. We have a problem. A large one." 


	52. Distress Call

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Heavens call for aid reaches the ears of a willing, but fallen angel.

Zion had considered himself exiled from Heaven years ago, long before he'd ever come across Alexandria Carter and her Nephilim daughter. He'd known about the kill order on the half breeds even then and had made no move to follow it through. They were just as human as any of the others who they'd been created to protect, and they wanted nothing more then to _live. _

He understood her anger, her resentment, her utter hatred directed at Heaven. They'd ignored Cleopatra almost her entire life. Remained silent when Castiel took on the Leviathans and died because of his futile attempt at redemption. 

How was he supposed to stop a grieving woman on the warpath? 

"This is the only door to Heaven we could get out of that demon." Dean motioned to the area behind him and dug his hands deeper into his pockets. They'd been working furiously for the last five days to try and locate a door to Heaven for Zion to enter through and stop Cleopatra before she could do anything else. "Do me a favor, Ken doll." _Ken? _"Bring back our girl. We.." He watched the older Winchester swallow the growing knot in his throat. "Just bring her home." 

He wasn't one to argue.

Zion closed his eyes and quietly muttered an Enochian incantation beneath his breath, his vessel stiffening as tendrils of gold light ascended from the ground and wrapped him in warmth. By the time he opened his eyes, he was standing in an office surrounded by a dozen other angels. 

"_Zion?_" His eyes snapped forward as Naomi emerged from the crowd and heaved a sigh of relief. "This moment.. it is surely blessed. We prayed for help," She extended her hands towards him. "And help came." 

Blue eyes ran across the walls to his left and his right - narrowing at the burning sigils - before they settled back on her. There were only a handful of Enochian sigils that were powerful enough to ward against a fully powered Nephilim. Despite the number of angels in the office and their powers, coupled with the angelic weapons at their disposal, not even that was enough to stop The Destroyer of Heaven. 

"Where is she?" 

***

"_Cleopatra, we got a phone call from Zion. I don't know if you can hear this prayer.. but this is not what Cas would want. He wouldn't.." _

Their prayers were fragmented, broken words barely forming a coherent sentence. Cleopatra had spent so much time driven by her grief that she'd forgotten about what the Winchesters must've been feeling back on Earth, _alone. _

"_He's come back to Heaven to get you. Go with him. Come home to us, or don't. Just get yourself somewhere safe where you can finally breathe. I think you lost your ability to do that when Cas walked into that lake. No matter how hard you try... You can't mourn him there."_

Her father and mother would've been so disappointed in her. What was her _purpose _here? To destroy the host of Heaven? To seek closure? Why had so many angels died at her hand?

_For Castiel. For their ignorance of their brother's pleas. For his fall from grace. For taking her brother and father from them before their time. _

"Cleopatra. Look, it's me. Zion." 

He watched as she stood paralyzed in the hall before Naomi's office, trembling hands fumbling for a grip on her blade. Most of her clothing had been torn or covered in blood, and now she wore nothing but a sleeveless black blouse and faded jeans that were just a couple of inches too short. Her feet were bare, and the Enochian tattoo on her forearm seemed to glow brighter here then it had on Earth. Like it _knew _the source of her anguish. 

Her gaze darkened as she looked at him. "Zion, my mother's favorite angelic being. What brought you up here? Hearing the weeping and wailing of the brothers who abandoned you just like they abandoned Castiel?" She motioned to the halls of souls behind her. "Half of them are back there, reduced to corpses. Feel free to say hello." 

"I've known you. Your mother knows you. We _both _know that you aren't a killer. All of this? It's because of the way Heaven has ignored you and your tears since the day your father and brother died. You feel like Fate is running your life and _nothing _will keep you from becoming The Destroyer of Heaven. Fate can be changed, you know." He took a tentative step forward. "You're hurting. You feel like your entire reason for existing has just been ripped from your chest, and you want to take it out on the people responsible. I _get _that. But you aren't a killer." 

"Do you not _see _the bodies? The blood on my hands!? It's not coming off, Zion! I chose this. I _chose _to damn myself by coming up here and fulfilling this god-forsaken prophecy that seems to hang over my head wherever I go! Killing angels gives me _peace _that maybe through my actions.. Castiel is at rest. I have to come to terms with that." 

"Your inner peace doesn't come from murder, just like your strength doesn't come from the powers you've been given." He countered. She hadn't really seemed to notice that he was taking another step every time he talked. "Your strength comes from your experiences. You lost your father and your brother, taken away from you before you were even a teenager. You lost your Uncle." She winced at the mention of Gabriel. "Life pulled you into hunting and through that, you met an angel you fell in love with, and he died. Your strength comes from what you've _endured. _Not from what you've done." 

Zion stopped. He was close enough now that if he were to reach out, he'd be able to touch her shoulder without a problem. “This blood on my hands...” Her lower lip trembled as she lifted her eyes to meet his. His heart felt heavier in his vessels chest just by seeing the anguish in the depths of her eyes. “It just won’t come _off_.” 

“We can get it off. You can be forgiven. Dropping that blade is a step in the right direction.” 

The angel blade clattered to the ground, and just as Zion bent to pick it up, the angels kneeling behind the warded door of Naomi’s office collectively sighed in relief. 

Heaven would live another day because of a renegade. 

***

"I can't go home." Cleopatra tucked her hands deep into her pockets as she stood in front of Zion's car. "Dean and Sam are probably worried sick about where I am, but Zion... I _can't _go to them. I can't. I can't go to my mom either because all she'll do is worry. The more I'm around them, the more I will see Castiel and I will simply fall apart." 

"You are grieving. I think you're entitled to fall apart." 

Zion reached into the cupholders and produced a small silver key, barely big enough to fit into the lock of a door. He uncurled her fingers and laid it in her palm. "What is this?" She asked. 

"It's a key to a cabin, in the mountains of South Dakota." He replied. Cleopatra rose an eyebrow but tucked the key into the trench coat she now wore. It looked to be a replica of the same one Castiel had worn when he was alive. "No one knows where it is except me. I use it for times like these when I need a break from the world. It's your turn. Take it." 

Tears filled her eyes. "Zion-" 

"Thank me later with a cup of coffee. At least I can go home and tell your mom that you aren't dead." Cleopatra turned to the trunk of the car and rifled through her torn clothes for the discarded angel blade he'd taken from her when they left Heaven. The Enochian runes still glowed beneath her touch, hilt warmth from use as she handed it to him. "What do you-"

"Give it to my mom. It belonged to my dad when he was still alive. She'll know how I am when you give it to her. And Zion?" He glanced at her over his shoulder. "Thank you." 

Zion nodded and placed the weapon inside the car. When he turned back around to bid her farewell, the only sign that she was ever there to begin with was the faint scene of lavender and a torn teeshirt covered in blood. 

In a cabin a whole other world away a Nephilim fell to her knees, and she wept because for the first time in years, she was well and truly _alone._


	53. Cope

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Pain moves us forward. It changes us into something else.   
Something we need to be." 
> 
> \- M.M.

She thought silence would've been a welcome sound after days of nothing but angelic screaming as they were torn apart in front of her, but the silence is _deafening _once Cleopatra begins establishing a routine inside the cabin Zion had given her indefinitely. 

The songs on her Mp3 play on a loop, but she doesn't listen to them. 

The sun shines outside, but she doesn't feel its warmth. 

Reality just feels so empty and cold and _alone. _

Living in a world without Castiel and the blood of innocents on her hands just feels so wrong. Heaven has had a death warrant on her head since birth, and it feels like she should just give herself up to whoever is in charge and let them have their way with her. 

_That's not what Castiel would want. _

Sleep comes but to no avail, as her dreams are filled with hysterics and the memory of Castiel walking into the lake and disappearing before her very eyes. Sweat lined the sheets and her hands ached from the way she twisted them into the blankets, but she slept. 

Zion held her for over an hour the first time he came to visit her at the cabin. He'd arrived to the living room in shambles, decor shattered at every corner and a weeping Nephilim rocking back and forth on her heels in the center of the room. He tried to ignore the stain of red that bloomed across her knuckles and the run of mascara down her cheeks, but his ignorance did nothing to hide the ache in his heart. 

"_What can I do, Cleopatra?" _

_She gripped his teeshirt with trembling fingers and buried her face in his shoulder. "Nothing. I have to move past it-" Zion spread his fingers over her heart and winced as she sharply inhaled and blinked away a wave of tears. ''Dolor Hic Tibi Proderit Olim." _

_"Latin. It means-" _

_"Someday this pain will be useful to you." _

That same night, she dreamt of Dean. Dean in prayer, begging for Cleopatra to return. Dean in the drivers seat of the Impala with Sam asleep at his side. Dean and his outrageous music taste. Dean laughing, Sam's smile. _Dean. Dean. Dean. Sam. Sam. Sam. _She would've been lying if she said she didn't miss the oldest Winchester and his brother. They'd been the only family she'd known since childhood, and she'd abandoned them. 

"Where are you going?" 

Zion hadn't left the cabin since his first visit. He was almost always quiet, keeping to the shadows and only emerging when he felt it necessary. It had been two months since they'd come to hide up in the mountains, and he was only beginning to see signs of normalcy appear in her. More color to her cheeks. The bags under tired eyes lightening. She looked _more _like Cleopatra and _less _like whatever anguish occupied her. 

"Out on the trails." He'd shown them to her whenever they'd arrived. "It's where I feel closest to him." 

And truth be told, it was. After their excursion post-Hammer of the Gods, Castiel had taken her on quite a few walks through the woods. He used to call it "_The Place Where God's Glory Dwells" _and often told her stories about his time as a fledgling with his brothers, when they'd still cared about him and his well being. The times when he had been more _angel _and less _human. _He'd said it made him feel closer to home. 

And for her, it made her feel closer to him. 

"Hey Cas." Cleopatra dug her heels into the dirt and tucked her hands into the pockets of her cardigan. "Autumn's coming, sweetheart. This is usually where you and I would part from the boys and go to the pumpkin patch in Lawrence for that _glorious _pumpkin roll and the apple cider.. I miss that." She cast her gaze upward to watch the waning sunlight of dusk flicker against the rich golds and orange of the changing leaves. "I miss _you_, Castiel. I miss your eyes and your smile and how _safe _I always felt around you. I miss your kiss. I miss your touch and your arms and just _you_, Angel. I don't know.. I don't know if I said it enough. I always wondered how you felt about me though. How you felt about our future. If I ever see you again," She wiped the tears from her eyes and inhaled deeply. "I'm gonna make sure you know."

When Alexandria drives the entire way to the cabin and pounds on her door at 2 AM in the pouring rain, Cleopatra is sure she's done for. Zion had been trying to coax her into calling her mother since her first day there, but she'd had no intentions of doing so for fear she'd get the lashing of a lifetime for not informing her of what had been going on. 

"_Mom?"_

_"You have a lot of explaining to do, Cleopatra Abigail!" _

But instead of tearing her a new one, Alexandria sat there and listened rather intently as her daughter sobbed her way through the story of the Leviathans and Castiel's loss. She made a deliberate choice to not mention her kiss with Dean or the way Sam practically begged her to stay with him. Her mother held her close, whispered _it's going to get better _and _everything happens for a reason _in her ears as the sky outside turned from black to pale purple and blue.

After multiple conversations and alot of tears, they unwillingly parted ways three days later. 

He didn't know what her mother had said to her, but Zion noticed almost immediately that Cleopatra was smiling more. Venturing out of the house and onto the trails, spending more time with him, looking into any strange occurrences in the areas surrounding the cabin. Alexandria had made up some half-hearted excuse about lesson plans and meetings with students, but he could see the reluctance in her eyes whenever she'd gotten into the car and disappeared down the driveway.

"_Cleopatra!" _

Her heart nearly stopped when she recognized the screams. It had been days since she'd heard from the brothers, both of which were immersed in the scandals surrounding Dick Roman. She'd done enough reading to at least know who the man was. 

"_Cleopatra, I don't know if you can hear this prayer.. but it's Bobby. He's been shot." _

Her feet took her back to the cabin before Dean had even finished his prayer. 

"_Crawl out of your hole, 'Patra. Get out and come save him! We need you-" _

Zion barely had time to ask where she was going in such a hurry whenever she sprinted towards the front door and threw open the table, eyes widening as she wrapped her fingers around her angel blade. 

"_We need you. Please come. We love you." _

Her fathers face flashed in front of her eyes. There was nothing to make her go to the aid of the Winchesters. No person, no word, no thing. _No one _was telling her what to do anymore. 

"_We love you." _

But her loyalty to the brothers that Castiel had brought to her overruled the desires of her heart. The desires to remain hidden. She was here to _protect _them, to _save _them... and if she wasn't standing up for them the way that Reagan had once stood up for her, then what was she doing? 

Her feet landed on the concrete of the road in front of a hospital. She didn't pay much attention to the name due to her shock over _who _stood before the front doors, his tall form hunched over and fingers buried in his hair. 

A disbelieving smile turned her lips upward. 

"_Sam?" _

Sam Winchester shot upward at the sound of his name being called, Lucifer all but forgotten as he frantically searched for the owner of the voice. His eyes widened as the crowd on the street parted and he caught sight of Cleopatra. Cleopatra Carter, with shorter hair and sad eyes looking at him with such _desperation _that all he wanted to do was run straight to her and take her into his arms and never let her go.

So that's exactly what he did. 

He barreled through the crowd and across the street, arms stretched outward to take Cleopatra into them. A sob broke past her lips as she immediately succumbed to the _acceptance _and _warmth _of his touch, fingers desperately clutching at the nape of his neck as they stumbled around on the sidewalk. They didn't seem to mind the sound of each others sobs or the looks from the people around them.

To them, it looked like a home coming. 

It was. 

"_I love you, Sam._" There it was. The very words he'd been deprived of his entire life, the words that when they were spoken were like drawing a dying man to water. He'd never known his mother, had been nothing but a foot soldier to his father. He and Dean never said them, not unless one of them were about to leave this world and leave the other behind. Sam had been taught that love was weakness, but that's not how not with her. Not with Cleopatra. 

Sam bit back the overwhelming feeling that had been plaguing him since he and Dean had brought Bobby in to be admitted for his gunshot wound. "_I love you too." _

And just when she thought things could return to normalcy, Dean came storming through the front doors of the hospital and caught sight of her. 

Every molecule in her body froze. She could feel his anger from across the street.

"_Where have you been?!" _

She took a single step back into Sams chest, making herself smaller for fear of backlash from Dean. Instead of screaming and raving about where she'd been hiding for the last several months, he threw his arms outward and crushed her in the most bone-crushing hug she'd ever received. 

Yeah. It was good to be home.


	54. See You Again, Bobby Singer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Winchesters deal with an unimaginable loss.

It took two steak dinners and an abandoned corner of the hospital for Cleopatra to get Sam and Dean to talk. There had been alot left unsaid between Castiel's death and her return, but at that moment it was Bobby Singer in his death bed that needed to be addressed. 

"Okay, you two." She said as the brothers sat down on either side of her. "I know there's alot for me to catch up on, but can you please explain how the toughest old man I know is now on his hospital bed?" 

Dean slowly cut into the meat in his lap and brought the fork into his mouth. He was quiet, distant. A far cry from the same Dean who only allowed himself to be vulnerable around her. "We were on the path of the Leviathans," It was Sam who decided to reply. "One of them has manifested inside Dick Roman." 

"The billionaire?" 

He nodded. "Yeah. We were hot on his heels with the reasons _why _The Leviathan stayed on Earth after.." Sam didn't finish his sentence for fear of her reaction. "And when we made a break for it, Dick got in a lucky shot and got Bobby in the head. It should've killed him on impact." 

"But it didn't." 

Dean moved close enough so that they were touching and laid his head on her shoulder. "No, it didn't." He said quietly. "But he's going to be okay because he always is, Sammy. He has to." A pause. "He _has _to." 

Both brothers scooted down onto the floor and rested their heads on each of her shoulders. There were very few moments when they allowed themselves to be vulnerable, to feel their loss and not have to rely on an alternative to drown their pain. Dean often took to physical anger and drinking, while Sam opted to go away inside and bottle everything up so tightly that no one often saw what lurked behind the greens of his eyes.

”I’m sorry I wasn’t here when you boys needed me.” Cleopatra said quietly, taking both of their hands in her own. “I was trying to deal with Cas’ death..” Tears blurred her eyes as flashes of blood stained hands and angel bodies littering the hallways of Heaven appeared in the darkness of her closed eyes. "I've been with him so long, I'm not sure I know how to do life without him." 

The brothers simultaneously turned their hands over and wrapped their fingers through hers. There was a distinction between the way that felt. They were rough, calloused from years of stripping and cleaning their guns, fingers scarred from hunts gone wrong. 

But they were soft too, soft in a way neither Winchester brother had ever experienced. 

"You don't have to do life alone, Cleopatra." Dean was the one who answered her, head tucked onto her shoulder as he traced the outline of each of her fingers. "You can do it with us. We can be enough. We _are _enough." 

Sam nodded his agreement and brought her hand to his lips to kiss the bridge of her knuckles. Her heart melted at the gesture. Here she'd locked herself away in Heaven and wreaked absolute havoc to both fulfill her title as _Destroyer of Heaven _and obtain some type of closure at the same time, but all it had done was left her empty, alone, and without Castiel. That didn't even begin to cover the blood on her hands and the way her body count had skyrocketed. 

She'd abandoned her boys, the ones Castiel had asked her to protect, for revenge. 

_How foolish. How selfish. How stupid. _

"Can you forgive me for leaving you behind?" 

Sam turned himself sideways and used his free hand to slowly wipe away the tears that were falling down her face, ignorant of the way Dean watched so intently as he curled his fingers around her jawline. This was the woman who'd embraced him at his worst, carried his burdens with him, and shared his pain over what he'd lost and the things he'd never had. Why would she _not _have his forgiveness? 

"I've lost the woman I loved too." Dean froze at the mention of Jessica. Sam had never gone into great detail about her murder at Azazels hands since Cleopatra had come into their lives. "I know the pain and the heartache that comes with it. However, there's one thing I know now that I didn't know then." She watched him through hooded blue eyes that were red rimmed from crying. "You are _stronger _then you think." 

"Sam-" 

He held up a hand. "Let me finish." A pause. "I used to think I was weaker after I lost Jess, but that loss was just another lesson to learn. Losing Cas.. it's hard, I know it is. You've been doing life with him long enough to wonder how you'll go on without him, but you will. You have your mother still, and you have us. You will _always _have us." 

Dean clasped her shoulders and smiled. Not the half quirked lips, but the _real _smile, the one they rarely saw. 

"Always.''

Before anyone could speak again, two nurses rushed down the hall talking at such a fast rate that their speech was almost incoherent, but then they heard _Bobby _and took off through the halls of the hospital without so much as a glance behind them. 

***

Bobby has been with the Winchesters through alot. He knew about Mary, knew about the deal she'd made and knew about John and how reckless he'd been in his hunt for Azazel after she'd died. If there was one thing that he had been awestruck by in his long, miserable life.. It was when Cleopatra Carter had come into that barn on the heels of her angel. 

He'd never seen the brothers love someone so deeply before. 

There'd been several times where she'd come crashing into his house in the middle of the night, which didn't really seem to faze Sam and Dean as they'd grown used to the announced presence of their Nephilim and angel for quite some time. When he'd wake up the next morning, the three of them would be crowded around the table, digging into coffee and eggs and bacon she'd magically made appear from thin air. 

"_Stop it-" Dean pounded his fist against the table as his shoulders trembled with laughter. "Oh God, 'Patra you gotta stop. I cannot breathe." _

_"The infamous laxative prank." She propped her feet over the cleared table and crossed them at the ankles. "Works every time, even on an angel. Gabriel didn't speak to me for almost a week." _

_The entire afternoon was nothing but laughter. _

That was one thing Bobby wanted to remember when he died was just that, how much love and laughter and joy Cleopatra Carter had brought into his home even for the short amount of time she'd been there with them. He'd knew the minute Castiel had walked into that river that Sam and Dean's world would shatter beneath their feet, and it had. Days of unanswered phone calls and unheard prayers had left both brothers at a loss until Zion Michaels had called them seemingly out of nowhere to relay the whereabouts of their missing half breed. 

Then she'd appeared here, in this hospital, at the heels of her boys. He couldn't say he was surprised, but _relieved. _

"_Hey Bobby,_" She stood on the opposite side of Sam and took his other hand. His eyes weren't opened yet, but he could _feel _her and the power that radiated from her. "_You're only hearing me because I'm talking to you in your head. Angels can do that." _

Sam grasped his other hand. 

"_I know you're fighting the good fight here, but I wanted to tell you something. Something personal, from me, the Nephilim you took into your home and made part of this dysfunctional family you made." _

Dean stood behind his brother, both of them watching for some sign of consciousness as Bobby's fingers moved in both their grasps. 

"_It's okay. You can go now... You've fought the good fight." _

_"_Sorry." One of the nurses in charge of transporting Bobby to surgery suddenly appeared in the doorway. He didn't hear any of the conversation that took place between the boys and herself, but his mind was entirely too focused on Cleopatra. On her warmth, her compassion, her love for his boys. He was leaving them in good hands. 

"_I've got them from here. It's what Castiel would've done, and it's what he would've wanted me to do. They're my boys." _She glanced up at them through glassy eyes. "_It's okay, Bobby. Tell them what you wanted them to know, and then you can go. Be peaceful." _

"Hey Bobby, hey." That was Sam. "Thank you.. for everything." 

Cleopatra stood vigil as the brothers bid goodbye to their father figure, gently coaxing him into opening his eyes to tell them what they needed to know about Dick Roman and the Leviathans. Dean hastened to find something to write with the minute his eyes opened and he tried speaking, settling for the nearest sharpie as he handed it over and watched him begin writing on Sam's hand. 

It was a string of numbers and letters. What they meant, they didn't know. But they would. 

Three pairs of eyes turned back to the man in the bed. He gazed up at them, smiled, and said "_Idjits." _before the heart monitor flatlined and in two full breaths, Bobby Singer was gone. 

"_Bobby, hey.. BOBBY!"_

***

She takes them to an open field underneath a dark and lovely sky. 

Cleopatra lays in the middle of Sam and Dean, beer bottle poised in between her lips and the borrowed trench coat from their excursion to the alternate universe wrapped around her. Dean hasn't said a word since they left the hospital, and Sam seems to be finding his comfort in the proximity of his best friend and his brother. 

The stars are their company tonight. 

"Hey boys." She snaps her fingers to make the bottle disappear and nestles deeper in between them. Sam and Dean are not small men, and there's plenty of heat to be spread between the three of them. "Despite how he went out.. Bobby knew he was leaving you in good hands. I'm not going anywhere now." She slid her hands downward to take both of theirs into her own. "I'm _here _and I'm not leaving. Not like your parents did, not like he did.. not like everyone you've ever loved that you feel you've failed." 

"We haven't failed you." 

It's said so quietly, she almost didn't hear it. "No, you haven't." She replied to Dean. "But unfortunately, we're human. We will fail each other, but we'll always come back together because that's what family does. They compromise, they fight and bicker and at the end of the day.. they come back together." 

They're silent for the next few minutes. Cleopatra thinks about Castiel, out there in the stars watching over her with a proud smile on his face because _this _was why she was here. To love the brothers who had never been shown what love really was, to protect the world from the ones who dared to harm it.. to live a life beside a soulmate who had never believed in anything but his mission to protect humanity, to love humanity. 

"_Olani Hoath Ol." _

"Is that Enochian?" Sam asked. "What does it mean?" 

She smiled. "I don't know." Enochian had never been her strong suit when her father had been trying to teach her and Reagan how to read it. "But I've always had my beliefs.. I think it means _I love you_. Cas would never tell me. It was like his personal secret or something." 

"Well, if anyone loved you.." Dean replied. "He did. I never doubted it. Not for a minute." 

"We're gonna be okay." 

And she means it. Bobby's death will be difficult, just as Castiel's was... but the three of them are here, they are _alive_, and if this was how it was meant to be, Cleopatra was okay with it. 

Slipping off the hood of the Impala, the brothers watched her venture into the field, forcing a blissful smile as she spun around in her borrowed coat. Dean couldn't help but beam in reply. She'd done so much to make this easier on them both, to alleviate their pain by putting theirs in front of her own. Cleopatra Carter was the most selfless woman he'd ever met. 

"Hey kid, we love you!" 

She threw her hands up in the air and cast her eyes towards the stars. "Good!" Cleopatra yelled back. "Because I love you both too!" 

A final whisper of _Olani Hoath Ol _carried on the wind towards Heaven as the Impala roared down the road to find its resting place for the evening. They slept soundly that night. 

The Winchesters had an angel watching over them. 


	55. Loyalty

_He appears to her in her dreams. _

_His coat is dripping wet, tainted obsidian from the creature that lives inside him, vacant gaze staring right through her as if she wasn't there to begin with. The bodies of his fallen kin lay behind him in neat, single file lines as if they're in the midst of being ID'D so Heaven would know who to blame for their fallen. _

_"Do you see this?" Castiel, or the husk of who he was, gestured behind him to the corpses and the burnt wings etched into every part of the Earth behind him. Her eyes followed his fingers to survey the damage, the damage she had caused, one she should've felt guilty for. She did, but it had been for him. Her quest for revenge against Heaven had been for **him. **"Was this what you wanted? Was this who you wanted to become?" _

_The tattoo on her arm burned. When had it gotten so dark? And what was that acrid smell? _

_"I did it for you." _

_He cupped his hand around his ear. "I'm sorry darling, I don't think I quite caught that." Godstiel replied. "Repeat it, one more time." _

_"I did it for you!" The sun disappeared along with most of the bodies of the angels, replaced by a darkness so deep she could not even see her hands in front of her face. "Do you hear me? You're defiling Castiel's corpse! YOU are defiling the man I LOVE!" Her eyes snapped downward as tendrils of gold light began curling around her ankles and slowly ascending to wrap around her thighs, wings fluttering in anxious anticipation as her rage grew seemingly more and more out of control. "I did it for you!" _

_There was nothing but the dark. _

_"I DID IT FOR YOU!" _

_The deep and lovely dark. _

_***_

"I DID IT FOR YOU!" 

Sam burst into the bedroom adjacent to his with his gun poised perfectly mid-air in the event that someone had infiltrated Cleopatra's motel-room while he and Dean had been sleeping, but he found no intruder. Just a very frightened and angry Nephilim cowering in her bed.

They'd been teetering on the edge of a breakdown since she'd left the hospital with them after Bobby had died, and their solution to their grief had been to dive deeper into their work, but not for her. Bobby and Castiel had been alot, and she'd been sloppy in her hunting. It was about to be expected. 

Dean had been the one to suggest a break after their last case with the killer ballerina and the cursed shoes. That was how they'd ended up in the motel room where Cleopatra had disappeared without so much as a goodnight and had passed out the minute her head had hit the pillow. 

"Cleopatra? Sweetheart?" He sat the weapon on her bedside table and moved deeper into the room, fearful to touch her due to the tendrils of gold light wrapped around her form. Flickering eyes roamed until they found his own and dissipated into their normal, yet frightened, blue green. "You were screaming." 

"That might have something to do with the dead soulmate plaguing my dreams.” It wouldn’t help her to tell Sam that she could practically see Castiel standing in the corner of the room, ooze seeping through the corners of his mouth as he fixated on her with such a menacing gaze that she shivered in the cold of the motel room. ''I know these walls are thin, Sam. I'm sorry. Don't stay up on my account." 

He thought of all the times that she'd endured long nights with no sleep for him. It was time he returned the favor. 

"I imagine Dean won't miss me too much." He sat his weapon down on the table and crossed the room, slipping his shoes off beneath the bed and maneuvering until he was seated in front of Cleopatra with their legs interlaced. Gentle hands cradled hers and ran over her palms, brow furrowing when he realized that she was shivering. "C'mere." 

Cleopatra took his offering without so much as a moment of hesitation, settling herself into Sam's embrace as they switched positions and he opened his arms for her to fall in. It had been several weeks since she'd slept with anyone else in her bed, and the act of her best friend laying beside her when it should've been Cas- "You shouldn't have to deal with this, Sam. You have enough on your plate." She swallowed the knot in her throat and allowed her eyes to flutter shut. "I don't want you to be burdened anymore. My trauma is not your cross to carry."

He fought against the idea of pulling her against him for a solid ten seconds because this was so _new, _so unusual, but if it'd been her doing this to him he probably still would've winced at the contact and moved farther away to ensure an ample amount of space between them. 

Cleopatra wasn't him, though. She needed reassurance, needed to know her nightmares were just nightmares, and so he decided to act on his desire to comfort her. 

Sam slotted his arm against the curve of her hip and settled his hand over her abdomen. Cleopatra shivered as his breath ghosted over frigid skin and he pulled her into the curve of his body before burying his face in her hair. "You are, and I may say this bluntly, _never _a burden to me. You're my safe place." He whispered. "You're the only person who doesn't treat me like I am. You make me feel like a real person, Cleopatra. Your compassion and your empathy and your _love _for Dean and I makes me feel like there is still someone out there in this crappy, crappy world who still loves us." 

He paused when she let out that tiny, tiny breath that lead to the downpour of tears. 

Her hands laid over his own as Sam continued talking. "I still think about her. About Jess. If Dean hadn't come to get me at school, we would've finished our degrees and I would've married that girl in a heartbeat. Maybe she'd still be alive if I hadn't gone with him, maybe I'd be living an apple pie life with my wife and my daughter and a future that's unobtainable for me now. However, if I hadn't gone with Dean, I would've never met Cas. Never would've realized my curse of the demon blood, would've never met _you_." 

The last people who had loved her this much had died. All three of them. 

"Everyone who's loved me has died. My brother. My father. Cas. Gabriel." The sight of the angel descending into the depths of the lake flashed behind her eyes, and Cleopatra turned her weight over so she was able to bury herself in Sam's chest. "I'm so scared it's gonna happen to you, and to Dean. This life... we've already lost too much." 

"I can tell you I'm not going anywhere." Sam whispered. He brushed his lips over the crown of her forehead and smoothed her hair down. "You deserve a night to rest after all that's happened the last couple of weeks, 'Patra. Sleep. I'll watch over you." 

***

When Sam woke up the next morning, Cleopatra was sitting at the table with a half empty bottle of water and the journal he hadn't seen her write in for months wide open and covered in chicken scratch. She never had been given good penmanship to begin with, but the fact that her handwriting mirrored that of a doctor amused him. 

"Hey Sam." Bright eyes met his own as she smiled across the room. It seemed that in the time he'd been in her room she had also showered and eaten, and the color had returned to her cheeks. She seemed to actually be acting like _herself. _Or as much as she could, at least. "You slept hard. I only got a few hours, which is all I need given the angel part. Did you have any nightmares?" 

Sam furrowed his brow as he rifled through his memory. Nothing. It had been the first time he'd slept without nightmares since his soul had been placed back inside of his body. "I, uh-" He laughed nervously and scratched the back of his neck. "I don't think I did. It feels nice to actually have a good night's sleep." He watched as she signed her name at the end of the journal entry and promptly snapped it shut. "What did you do?" 

"What do you mean?" 

"I mean, my mind is clear. Calm." It was the first time he'd been able to think since he'd start hallucinating Lucifer, which he hadn't fully told her about yet. He hadn't bothered talking to Dean about it because Dean couldn't _do _anything, so what was the point? "You know, don't you?" 

Cleopatra pressed her lips together and stood up. "I don't know why you wouldn't have told me, Sam. What happened with your soul was not _on _you. What Cas did.. it's inexcusable, and if he were still _alive _I would've made him pay for it a thousand times over because it was wrong and you didn't deserve it. But you’re still hallucinating Lucifer. I know you are. I saw him in your dreams last night. Why wouldn’t you tell me when we met at the hospital? I have power over him in this sense at least, I could’ve helped you.”

"I don't.." She sat down in front of him and moved to his hands in her own, eyes keenly studying the way his face contorted with pain and his eyes wouldn't meet hers.

"Can I-" Cleopatra swallowed the nerves bubbling in her stomach. "I know you've shied away from it before, but can I hold your hand?" 

The way she asked it was so soft, like this woman who had the potential to destroy the planet was afraid of breaking him.It seemed that in the time they'd known each other that Sam was most receptive to her when they were touching to some degree. "Yeah." He smiled as she gently took his hand in her own. "I don't wanna talk about it right now. Thank you for keeping the nightmares away for me, sweetheart, I appreciate it more then you know. But you can't save me from everything." 

Sam froze as her fingers came up and curved around his jaw, gently turning his head enough so they were eye to eye. _She's not Dad. She's not Dad. She's not-_ "Sammy," His breathing hitched as she ran her thumb across the apple of his cheek and managed a small smile that spoke volumes. "If I don't save you... who else will?" 

He was positive his ability to breathe was gone as she stared at him, waiting for some type of reply. Most of Sam's life had been lived on the road with Dean and their absent father, of whom had been abusive when they did something wrong, or something that put them in danger. Between his upbringing and the Cage and everything he and Dean had endured... Learning how to open up to people, to _trust _people, was difficult. Not flinching from loud sounds... touch.. it was something he'd have to work on. 

Maybe he should start with her.

Their conversation was halted by Dean who kicked the door open with an ear-rattling bang. The eldest Winchester strolled into the room carrying three to-go boxes of food, two containing the greasiest eggs and bacon possible and the third carrying Sam's pristine, low-carb omelet. 

"Am I interrupting something?" 

Cleopatra flicked her wrist to shut the door, very nearly considering doing the same to Dean's breakfast and splattering it against the wall. "Oh, just a friendly conversation Dean-o." She mused, taking the styrofoam container from his hands. ''Gotta say, I did miss bacon." 

Dean grinned over the prongs of his fork as Sam snorted. "Now _that _is a woman." 

"But I don't miss your terrible taste in music. Bob Seger? Really?" 

It was Sam's turn to burst into laughter as Dean choked in the midst of swallowing his food. "I am _disowning _you!" He exclaimed. "Who says they hate Seger? Crazy people, that's who!" He picked up his tepid coffee and took a sip. 

"I'll give you one thing." She closed the empty box and wiped the excess grease from the back of her mouth. "Night Moves is _art _in lyric form, and the only thing the two of you can both sing in tune. I don't think I've ever heard such flat singing in my life." 

After an hour of raucous laughter and endless bickering between the three, Dean lead his brother and his best friend's girl back into the Impala. Cleopatra nestled down into the back seat and wrapped Castiel's trench coat around herself, slipping her hand into her bag for the iPod she usually used on their long car rides. 

_Wise men say... only fools rush in... _

Her eyes fluttered close, and Castiel appeared behind them. Bright eyed, open armed, beckoning her forward. _Happy. _

_But I can't help.. falling in love with you _

"I'm glad she stayed with us, man." 

Feigning sleep, she nestled deeper into the seat and slowly turned her volume down to hear the conversation between the brothers as Dean continued down the open highway. They really didn't have a destination in mind, not quite yet, and she was enjoying the time away from hunting even if it was to be short lived. 

"You didn't think she would?" Sam asked. 

"Well, based off what the blonde Ken doll told us, she let loose in Heaven in a way she won't do down here." Dean said. "Whatever happened.. man, I would've been afraid to witness it, but at the same time.. She did it for Cas. Cas got abandoned by his family, fell to Earth, and had to deal with being a fallen angel. Wherever he is.." Bright green eyes fixated on the road as he drummed his fingers against the wheel. "I hope he's at peace." 

"He wanted her with us from the start. Remember the barn? She didn't want to stay, she hasn't been in the life as long as we have.. but he convinced her. She shouldn't have had to, she didn't _want _to,Cleopatra stayed. That's loyalty if I've ever seen it." Sam was silent for a moment as he tucked his hands behind his head. "It's nice to know for once there's someone else in this world that loves us. Someone we won't lose as easily as we've lost everyone else." 

Dean seemed to be thinking the same thing she was. 

_Never say never, Sammy. _

"We've got ourselves a loyal girl." He said quietly. 

Their company that day was the open road, the sunset beside them, and each other. What a wonderful world that is. 


	56. The Born Again Identity

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There, now we're caught up!

"_Here's what I've learned over the last three years. You can't save everyone, no matter how hard you try. But you can love them. You can love them, and you can hope it's enough." _

_[ Italics is internal thoughts, italics with quotes is Hallucifer ] _

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"What do you mean he's _gone?!_" 

"Dean, I mean I woke up this morning and he was _long _gone. I passed out after whatever we did last night, he didn't ask me for help and I-" 

Both pairs of eyes snapped over to Dean's phone as it began ringing from the opposite side of the room. Dean bolted for the phone and brought it to his ear as he answered the phone call, eyes wide as he murmured to the person on the other end. When it ended, Dean sat the phone down and looked her dead in the face. 

There was one thing there. Worry. 

"He's been hit by a car." 

Her nerves ate at her the entire ride to the psychiatric hospital they'd brought Sam to, believing that he was more a danger to himself then he was to others. She'd been working with him for weeks on keeping Lucifer contained within his hallucinations, but Sam had said time and time again he didn't want to burden her with anything else after Castiel had died, and so he hadn't made his sleep deprivation known. 

Cleopatra should've seen the warning signs. 

"You're Sam Smith's brother and sister?" Doctor Cadinsky asked as Cleopatra and Dean both nodded, urging them to take the seats in front of his desk as he waved the nurse out of the room. "Sam was admitted and treated for a broken rib and lacerations."

"Okay," Dean replied. "That's not too bad. And?" 

"And he's on our locked psychiatric floor. Judging by the look on your sister's face, I think she had an idea he'd end up there eventually." Cleopatra pressed her lips together in a thin line as the doctor continued. "Were you aware that Sam was experiencing a full blown psychotic episode?" 

Immediately Cleopatra jumped to his defense. "I've been _more _then aware that he's been struggling, and I've been helping him work through that. I was unaware of the sleep deprivation, but Sam is _not _psychotic." 

"She's right." Dean interjected. "C'mon, it's not like the guy is freaking Norman Bates!" 

"I'm sure he isn't. We need to determine whether or not his state is brought on by the insomnia or whether the insomnia is a symptom of his condition. We have to figure out how to treat him." 

"The sleep thing is new." Cleopatra said quietly. "I was aware of the hallucinations, but he's been secretive about the insomnia and kept us both in the dark about it." She lifted her gaze to meet that of the older man across from her. "Forgive us if we come off rather protective, Doctor Cadinsky. We're just worried about our brother." 

"And I admire that." He replied. "But we've pumped him as full of sedatives as we can, but so far he won't go under. I've never seen anything like it." 

The Doctor lead Dean and Cleopatra through a series of hallways until they came to **_Door D2_**, the high security patients who had to be monitored around the lock and kept in a confined part of the hospital. He stopped right in front of Sam's door and motioned with his head to the glass window that allowed them to see inside. 

Her heart sank at the sight of him. There on the bed sat the strongest man she knew, adorned in white clothes that seemed too tight and looking right back at her with a gaze she knew all too well. Complete and utter defeat. Sam was at a loss, and she wasn't sure if she could save him anymore. 

"Dean," Cleopatra extended her hand out to grasp the elder Winchester's in her own. "Please, _please _don't make this about you. Make it about him. That man on the bed in there.. that's your baby brother." Dean swallowed the knot in his throat and nodded softly, unable to find a response to her pleading. "The one who was tortured by the very thing torturing his psyche right now. He's defeated, and broken, and _tired_. If there's one thing I've learned in the last three years, it's that you can't save everyone. But you can love them, and you can hope for now that it's enough." 

"_Ah, Mr Helpless!" _Lucifer jeered. "_And Mrs. I-Have-To-Save-Everyone-No-Matter-What-They-Say. Pull up a six pack, kids!" _

"How are you feeling?" Dean asked. 

Cleopatra rounded the bed and took the open space beside Sam, quietly murmuring words of encouragement into his mind as she slowly but surely took his hand into her own. He was still uncomfortable with close proximity physical touch, but Sam had been working towards being open to accepting it from her. He'd come a rather long way in the time they'd known one another.

"I think you should cancel my UFC fight." He replied. 

"_Yeah, keep that sense of humor, Sam. It'll get you through this." _

Dean sat down on the side of the bed that Cleopatra wasn't occupying, taking that moment to watch his brother bask in the warmth that radiated from the Nephilim at his side. Judging by the fact that her eyes were open and flickering their tawny gold he usually associated with divinity from Heaven, Dean believed she was using her grace to try and calm his frantic mind. 

"Sam, I'm gonna find you help. Until I get back, I think 'Patra will be what you need." 

Disbelieving laughter fell past his lips. 

"_Now Sam, that sounded a little cynical." _

"I don't think it's out there, Dean." Sam said. "Cleopatra can do all she can, and it still won't be enough. It's all snake oil. The last faith healer we hooked up with had a reaper on a leash, remember?" 

"Yeah, Sam. I remember." 

"I'm just saying-" 

"What?" Dean snapped. "That you don't want my help?" 

Cleopatra lifted her head from Sam's shoulder and glared daggers at the older Winchester. "_Dean_-" She scolded, brow furrowed as her eyes slowly dissipated into their normal, gentle blue-green. "Now is not the time to do this." 

"Dean, I'm just saying- Don't do this to yourself." 

"Sam, if I don't find something-" 

"Then I'll die." The finality of his statement sent a wave of tension radiating through the room. Sam immediately noticed how distant Cleopatra became at his words and regretted them almost immediately, given that he and Dean were the only people she had left on this world besides her mother. "Dean, 'Patra.. we knew this was coming." 

"No." 

"When you put my soul back-" 

"Your soul shouldn't have been gone to begin with, Sam." Cleopatra said calmly. "And as for breaking the wall in your head, Castiel would've paid dearly for that if he was still alive. His arrogance is the only reason why you're sitting here in this bed and we're not off chasing after Dick Roman and sending every single _god-forsaken _Leviathan straight back to Purgatory!" 

"Screw Cas." Anger burned brightly in gold eyes as she whipped around to face Dean. It wasn't _screw Cas_, it was _you're all I have left and I can't bear losing you. Not you, not ever. _"Stop being Dali freaking Yoda over this. Get pissed!" 

"I'm too tired." 

Those words alone were enough for her to deflate and sink to her knees on her side of Sam's hospital bed. "I'm sorry, Sam." 

"No. It's not on you." He replied firmly. "This is what happens when you take a soul and throw it into Lucifer's dog bowl. I mean... did you both really think there's going to be a cure out there? Even with all you did, sweetheart.. It still isn't enough."

"_Oh.. you were having a moment!" _

Cleopatra leaned over and pressed two fingers to Sam's temple, ignoring his sharp intake of breath as her eyes snapped over right to where Lucifer sat. "_You_," She waved her hand smirked as the archangels hands went to his throat, suddenly unable to speak. "_Shut up." _

"Miss Smith, I'm afraid I must ask you to leave." The attendant standing outside of Sam's room said. "Your brother is waiting for you outside, visiting hours are over for the day." Cleopatra nodded and moved to stand from the bed, but not before Sam wrapped his arm around her waist and slowly pulled her back to him to place the whisper of a kiss against her temple. 

She feigned a smile at the nurse and lightly squeezed Sam's hand. 

"_Oh, look at that." _Lucifer cooed as Cleopatra exchanged words with the attendant and fled the room. "_I can smell the stench of sentimentality from over here." _

Dean spent the next several days using every contact that Bobby had available to find some type of help for Sam's broken psyche while Cleopatra made daily visits to the hospital for an hour of visiting time. Sometimes Sam talked, sometimes she sat in silence with him just so he knew she was there. 

"Stay away from me!" 

"_C'mon Sam, I hate these one sided conversations. Engage!"_

Cleopatra looked up from her book and frowned as Sam came storming towards her, eyes bright with fear as he slowed to a stop just inches in front of her chair. "Sam." She said calmly, peering over his shoulder to where she imagined Lucifer was standing. "You know he's not real, right? He's a figment. He's the result of your broken psyche, sweetheart." 

"_Oof, she's right. Doesn't mean you're going to believe her though." _Lucifer jeered. "_C'mon Sunshine, if I'm so real, why don't you flash me those pretty gold eyes?" _

Cleopatra set her book down and stood to her feet. Tilting her head, she raised to her tiptoes and pressed her fingers against Sam's temple, slowly pushing her way into his mind to try and ease his discomfort. Despite the fact it didn't seem to be working, that didn't mean she was going to stop. 

"Hi Lucifer. It's me." She waved and moved around Sam. "I don't know why you find this so amusing, so I only have one thing to say to you." Sam cowered in the arm-chair as Cleopatra strode right up to the Devil, pulled her arm back, and punched him right in the mouth hard enough to send him sprawling across the floor. 

"Did you- Did you just punch Satan?" 

"Well, it _feels _like I did." She replied, shaking her hand as pain bloomed through her fingers. "If that's the case, I just crossed an item off my bucket list!" 

It was when she was on her way back to the cabin that night that Dean called her. He claimed that one of his older hunting acquaintances named Mackey had a lead on someone named Emmanuel who worked out of Colorado and had been making a name for himself as a healer, performing acts such as curing the sick or the blind. Many people loved him and looked up to him, and Dean believed he was the solution to Sam's problem. 

So many hours later she found herself with Dean outside of Emmanuel's house. 

"This doesn't feel right." 

"Why not?" Dean replied. "This is the guy who has the solution to all our problems!" They both bound up the steps and stopped in front of the door. "Let's meet the man himself."

Five minutes later, the man they thought was Emmanuel was at the base of the staircase with a snapped neck and an angel blade shoved through his abdomen. 

Dean rested his hand against the small of her back, a needed comfort, as her eyes shifted back down the staircase to where a man stood staring back at them. Her breath caught in her throat at the sight of those achingly familiar blue eyes, the neatly combed black hair-

_That's not Castiel. _

"What- What was that?" He stormed back past the two of them and into the house where Daphne was tied and gagged into the arm chair. "Did that creature hurt you?" 

Dean turned Cleopatra around and held her chin between two fingers. "Hey." He whispered. "Look. I know that-" 

"That's not him. That's not my Castiel." She replied sharply, brushing off Dean's attempts at comfort to turn her attention to Emmanuel and Daphne behind her. "Let's just get this done." 

Emmanuel smiled at them both and outstretched his hand. "I'm Emmanuel." He greeted, eyes flickering between them both in expectance of a greeting in return which Dean reluctantly gave. 

"Dean. I'm Dean." He replied. "And this is Cleo." 

"Thank you for protecting my wife." 

Dean stiffened as he felt the _draw _of Nephilim grace writing beside him, very clearly trying to refrain from lashing out in the midst of her anger. "Your wife." He said. "Right." 

"I saw his face. His _real _face."

Cleopatra crossed her arms over her chest and huffed in annoyance. "Yeah. He was a demon." She said. "Black eyes, black soul, the whole nine yards. I saw it too." 

"And what are you?" 

"A Nephilim." Emmanuel gasped as blue-green flickered to gold. "Half human, half angel." 

"She's the only one of her kind." Dean replied. "And as for demons, there are loads of them. They walk the Earth. You don't know about-" 

"You saw the demon's true face." It was the first Daphne had spoken since they'd entered the house. "Emmanuel has.. very special gifts." 

"Yeah, we've heard that about, uh, Emmanuel. That you can heal people up." 

"I seem to be able to help to a certain degree." He replied. "And what would your predicament be?" 

"It's our brother." Emmanuel caught the slight upturn of Cleo's lips from the corner of his eye, seeing as how she'd gone silent and had opted to keep her attention focused on the decor of the sitting room behind him and Daphne. ''I've got things here, 'Patra. Can you go back to the hospital and check on Sam?" 

"What-" 

Before Emmanuel could argue for her to stay, the raven-haired woman was gone, and he found himself missing her presence. It was almost like his soul was drawn to hers. 

***

"This isn't real." 

Sam winced as another firecracker went off. Cleopatra and Dean were coming, they were going to get a healer, and soon this nightmare would all be over. He pressed his hands over his ears and slowly hoisted himself upward, eyes cast towards the window where the curtains had been drawn and he could just see the sky in front of the hospital. 

His eyes widened as the attendant entered the room with his daily meal and behind him came Cleopatra. The tension in his shoulders receded when she smiled at him in greeting and took her place in the corner chair, remaining silent as he exchanged words with the attendant over a girl named Marin. 

"Sam?" She asked. Slowly lowering herself to her knees in front of him, Cleopatra tentatively rose her hand into the air and allowed it to hover over his knee. "I'm going to touch your knee now, okay? It's a physical way for you to know I'm real." 

_This is the girl you'd give your life for. Real or not real? _

The minute she touched his knee, Sam felt the warmth of her grace radiating through her fingertips and whispered a heavy ''_Real." _that resonated through the room. "Dean-" He asked, swallowing the bile in his throat at the thought of the meal waiting for him on the opposite side of the room. After a day and a half of maggots, food was the last thing he wanted. 

"On his way with the healer he promised." She whispered. "I thought I'd come check on you again, make sure you're alright." 

He laid his hand overtop her own and squeezed. "Better now that you're here." Cleopatra opened her mouth again to reply when the red-haired girl came into the room with a chocolate bar. "What?" 

"Marin can't see me, Sam. You're the only one who can see me because I allowed you to. I'm real, I promise, but she's gonna think you're insane if you keep talking to air." 

When Sam turned back around to talk to Cleopatra, she was gone, having left only a note in her place. 

** _I was here._ **

** _I love you. I'll be back soon. Dean needs me. _ **

** _\- C_ **

When she reappeared in the Impala, Dean was indiscreetly talking to Emmanuel about, well.. himself. 

"This dude betrayed you, did he?" Emmanuel asked. "He was the friend of you and your sister?" 

Dean snorted and flexed the fingers that were curved over the steering wheel. His eyes drifted to the back seat of the Impala where he seemed to know she was sitting, not having given away her presence to their new passenger as he spoke. "My friend, her soulmate. And he's gone." 

"Did one of you kill him?" When Dean didn't answer, he continued. "I sense that you kill alot of people. And with her.. All I sensed was sadness and rage. Like she lost something she didn't have long enough." 

"I don't know if he _is _dead, but she misses him. I wish I could've done something to keep her from that, but pain is pain. It's unpreventable no matter what we want to do about it." His voice dropped low enough for only the two of them to hear, despite her heightened senses. "I just know that this whole thing couldn't be messier. I used to be able to shake this stuff off, y'know... whatever it was, it might take me some time. But I always could." 

"So what changed?" 

"I watched one of the strongest people I knew shut down when her soulmate walked into a lake and disappeared." Cleopatras eyes softened as she continued to listen on in silence. She'd been so focused on Sam and his condition that she hadn't bothered to pay much attention to Dean and how he might've been feeling about the entire situation after Castiel and then Bobby.. She'd neglected him. _Stupid. _"After what Cas did... I just can't. I don't know why." 

"It doesn't matter why." 

"Of _course _it matters." 

Emmanuel shook his head. "No. You're not a machine, Dean. You're human." He turned around and smiled softly at the Nephilim, who judging by the look on his face, Emmanuel had known she'd been there the entire time. "And despite the angelic part of you, you are human too." His brow furrowed. "Your friend's name was Cas?" 

"Yeah." 

"That's an odd name." 

The laughter that erupted from the back seat made both the hearts of the men in the front lighter. "Says _you_." She retorted. "Emmanuel means God with Us. I don't know anyone in the entire planet with that name. It's oddly... unique." 

"And what is your full name?" 

"Cleopatra, after the Queen of Egypt. My mother had a thing for history." 

"I saw your name on the site where I found Emmanuel." He replied. "Yours means _glory of the Father. _I wonder what exactly that could mean for you?" 

Her mind flashed back to the last time she'd seen Josiah, standing in the doorway of their house in Lawrence with a duffel bag in one hand and his etched angel blade in the other. The way he'd kissed her mother goodbye, pressed a kiss to her forehead, and strode out the door only to never be seen again. How much he'd loved her, how much she _missed _him. 

Cleopatra couldn't have been prouder of her name. 

"It means alot of things." 

When daybreak came, Cleopatra yawned and curled further into the back seat while Dean pulled into the nearest parking spot for a stop at the convenience store across the street. He took a look into the backseat and smiled, reaching his hand back to smooth the hair from Cleopatra's face. "Stay in here and sit tight, okay?" He asked Emmanuel, who nodded in reply. "If you need her, say her name. She'll wake up quickly." 

She jolted at the thought of Sam, who probably was under the belief that he'd hallucinated her presence in the hospital when Marin had come in to give him that chocolate bar. The last fifteen minutes before she'd gone to sleep had been searching through the Internet for the most prevalent symptoms of PTSD, and for as far as she'd gotten, Sam had hit every single one. 

"Good morning, Cleopatra." 

She yawned and stretched her legs, extending her arms above her and peering through one eye at the very attentive amnesiac angel in the front seat. "Good morning, Emmanuel." Cleopatra replied. "Where's Dean?" 

"Inside the convenience store. Said he was going to be looking for something as greasy as possible, and a Cherry Pepsi for you. Apparently it's your favorite." When she didn't answer, he turned his entire body around in the seat and peered downward to watch her press her face into a familiar coat. "Why do you keep looking at me like that?" 

That caught her attention. 

"Like what?" 

"Like I'm everything you want," He replied. "And also everything you dread." 

It took her a minute to find a reply that wouldn't confess to him the nature of his true identity. "You just remind me alot of the boyfriend I lost. Cas." She said quietly. "It's hard to look at someone who reminds you of everything you ever wanted and everything you've ever lost at the same time." 

By the time Dean came outside, Cleopatra and Emmanuel were standing on either side of the Impala and watching each other. 

"Is that their version of eye-sex?" 

Her eyes widened at the sound of the familiar voice, and Cleopatra whipped around with her hand extended in preparation to smite whatever demon was accompanying Dean out of the convenience store. Emmanuel stiffened at the sight of Meg, very clearly disturbed by the fact she wasn't a human, and that he could see her real face. 

"She's-_She's_-" 

"Don't worry puddin'. We come in different colors." Meg remarked coyly. "Also, _hello _Goldilocks. Did you miss me?" 

"Not even a little bit." Cleopatra said. 

"My name is Meg. I'm just here for the moral support. After all," Her eyes swept up and down Castiel's body before she continued. "We go way back." Confusion permeated his expression as Dean and Cleopatra looked to the demon for a quick cover. "Dean, Cleopatra and I! Just met you, _obviously._" 

"Dean." Cleopatra said seriously. "She's eye-sexing him." 

Dean shoved Cleopatra in the direction of the Impala and groaned loudly. "Can we go?!" 

*** 

He sat and stared for a moment after watching Marin's brother disappear in the midst of the seal breaking between him and this world, the bracelet he'd made for her in ashes at his feet. Marin had fled the room when the attendants had come into detain him, a whispered "_Thank you._" in the air as he tried to fight the urge to cower at the sight of Lucifer. 

"Sam." 

Sam shook his head as gentle fingers enveloped his forearm. "You're not real." He murmured. "She's not here, she's with Dean. _You _are not real." 

"You want me to be real though." She replied. Sam watched her lips turn upward in that gentle smile that often made him feel most at ease as she maneuvered around him, hoisting the upper half of his body upward with ease before allowing him to settle into her embrace. He was enveloped in a familiar warmth immediately - one he attributed to the pulse of her grace in his veins - but then Sam realized it was just _her. _"Because if I was real, that'd be your anchor to reality. The broken little half-breed who destroyed Heaven because her boyfriend died. Is that what you want? Someone who's going to be nothing but a constant disappointment to you? She couldn't even save Castiel! How was she supposed to save you?!" 

_Pray to me, and I'll be there. I'm just a call away. _

Sam swallowed the bile in his throat as her fingers carded through his hair. "She's never failed me. Not even when I failed her at the start, during the demon blood." He said quietly. "Cleopatra may be alot of things... but a failure? Never. She's all Dean and I have ever needed." Each stroke of her fingers against his forehead sent another wave of warmth through him, and Sam found himself fighting the urge to finally succumb to his exhaustion. "Security. Safety. Trust. Vulnerability. Love." 

Her lips pressed against his temple. 

"_Home." _

And then she was replaced with the sight of Doctor Cadinsky. 

*** 

"_Demons." _

Cleopatra growled lightly under her breath as she, Dean, Castiel and Meg stood at the crest of the hill in front of the hospital where the parking lot was mostly occupied by a large group of demons. "Nothing is ever easy for us, is it?" Cleopatra muttered. "Are they all demons? I can't see that far. It takes too much energy." 

Meg snorted. "No grass growing under your feet, is there?" 

"How many of those knives do you have?" 

Dean grimaced as he reached into his belt to pull out the demon blade. "Just the one, clearly not enough." He turned towards his best friend and lightly wrapped his fingers around her wrist, motioning with his eyes to the horde at the front doors of the building that held _their _brother. Emmanuel knew she was a Nephilim, but as to what that entailed.. he remained oblivious. Apparently Dean wanted it to remain that way. 

"Well then, forgive me." Emmanuel interjected. "But what do we do?" 

"Yeah, Dean. Any plans for getting us in there? One that involves gold eyes and the power to destroy the entirety of, well.. anything?" 

Cleopatra cracked her knuckles and removed her angel blade from the sheath at her thigh. "Let me at them." She replied. "I'm in the mood to kill something." 

"On second thought," He gripped both Meg and Cleopatra and wrenched them backwards until they were just at a far enough distance away from Emmanuel to talk lowly. "Do you two really think this is that cut-and -dry? You _both _know what he did." Cleopatra absently rubbed at her neck as if she could still feel the bruises he'd inflicted on her. "You wanna tell him and hope he just takes it in stride? He could snap, he could disappear, who knows!" 

"I gather we know each other." All three eyes snapped to Emmanuel as he approached them. "You can tell me. I'll be fine." 

"I'll tell you." 

Dean whipped around. "Cleopatra, how do you _know?_ How do any of us know?! Do you really want to risk it?" Cleopatra ran her hand down his arm, hoping her grace had the intended effect of pacifying his growing anxiousness. It did. "You just met yourself. 'Patra and I have known you for years." 

"You're an-" 

"Angel. _My _angel." Emmanuel turned his piercing blue gaze to the gold-eyes coming towards him, oblivious to how starstruck he appeared at sight a divine sight. Cleopatra forced a smile and tilted her head as she opened her mouth to continue only to be interrupted. 

''I'm sorry," He replied. "Is that a flirtation?" 

She grinned devilishly and nodded. "If you want to interpret it that way, yes." 

"Oh, for the love of-" Meg gripped the Nephilims shoulders to keep her away from her boyfriend as she finished her previous thought. "It's a species, a very powerful one." 

"Neither of them are lying. 'Patra here is a Nephilim," Cleopatra waved meekly as Dean kept speaking. "She's the child of an angel and a human. I imagine that you're confused because you keep leering over her like some love sick puppy, I've been watching it since we came into your house yesterday. We've known you for years. You don't eat, I'm sure there's more that I don't know about that she probably does." 

Castiel furrowed his brow. "Why wouldn't you tell me? Being an angel, it sounds pleasant." 

"It's not, trust me. It's bloody and corrupt and for you in particular it's been _agonizing _because you defied all your instincts and everything you ever knew to be with her." He jabbed a thumb at Cleopatra. "We fought together, the three of us did. We're-" 

"Best friends. Family." 

"We're.. friends." He said. "Am I, am I _Cas?" _Cleopatra swallowed the knot in her throat as the realization came creeping into his fearful aspect. "I.. I had no idea. I don't remember either of you. I'm sorry." 

She should've kissed him then. Kissed him long and hard in front of Dean and Meg, prodded through his confused mind and pulled the memories of _them _to the surface so he could finally come back and she could say that Castiel was home again. But that would've been selfish, and now wasn't the time to be selfish. 

"Look. You've got the juice." Meg replied. "You can smite every demon in that lot." 

He turned away from them to look at the parking lot below. "But I don't remember how." 

"It's in there." Dean said softly. "I'm sure it's just like riding a bike." 

"I don't know how to do that either." 

Cleopatra stepped forward and around Dean to wrap her arm around his forearm. Castiel turned to peer down at her, blue eyes glowing in the lamp light as she spread his fingers outward and turned her own arm upward to show him the tattoo thereupon. "Can you read this?" She whispered. He stared for a moment and sounded out each letter in the ancient Enochian tongue, eyes widening as he realized what he'd done. "That's it. _Castiel. _It means the Shield of God. That's you, sweetheart. If you can do this.." She gestured to the group of demons below. "Then you can surely do that." 

"Alright." He nodded. "I'll try." 

The trio remained at the crest of the hill as Castiel descended and, one by one, began smiting demons. 

_A little park in a small town in Kansas. A cup of coffee, the laughter of children, gold eyes that regarded him so softly. _

He continued through the crowd, focusing more on the memories returning then the screams of each demon as they fell at his feet. 

_A barn. An older man, the one he'd saved from Perdition, and the Nephilim who was born to die. Preventing the apocalypse, falling in love, losing her to his just cause of war in Heaven against Raphael. _

"I don't think running will save you." 

_Covered in blood, standing before the sigil meant to release the souls from Purgatory only moments after being enveloped in the wings of his lover. A cry of sorrow before everything went black, and Castiel succumbed to the Leviathan inside him. _

Cleopatra hesitated as Dean and Meg approached him. She wasn't sure if he'd want to see her, or if he'd be able to figure out what she did in Heaven while he was gone, but she was here if Castiel wanted to reach out. To apologize for all that had gone down between the two of them. 

Dean was the one who ushered her forward. 

"Castiel?" 

He turned around to face them, and her breath caught in her throat when his eyes met hers. "I remember you." He said. "I remember everything. What I did, what I became.. Why didn't you tell me?!" 

"Cas, sweetheart." Cleopatra gazed up at him with wide, saddened eyes as she closed the gap between them and laced her fingers through his own. His growing anger ebbed at her touch as it often did when he became overwhelmed. "We couldn't tell you because Sammy is dying in there. I've tried to help him in every way I know how, but I can't do it. I don't know _why-_" 

"He's in there because of me!" Castiel snapped. "Everything, all these people." He wrenched his hands out of her own and stormed past Dean and Meg in the direction of Baby. "I shouldn't even be here." 

Cleopatra's hand snapped outward when Dean and Meg tried to follow her back up the hill. It was clear she thought the only way to get through to him was through _her, _and that she was adamant to do it alone. 

"Castiel, if you remember then you know you did the best you could at the time!" Cleopatra argued. 

"_Don't _defend me." He snapped in reply. "Do you have any idea the death toll in Heaven? on Earth?" Cleopatra froze at the memory of herself standing in front of Naomi's office, guilt and regret and _rage _thrumming through her veins as blood-stained hands trembled in the midst of her struggle to keep a grip on her angel blade. The bodies lined out behind her, the desire to leave more as Zion coaxed her into his embrace. He was the only reason Heaven wasn't totally destroyed. 

"Yeah. I do." She said. "I do because I'm the one who totaled it, after you died." 

Castiel slowly turned around. "I don't want you to tell me right now." His tone softened considerably as he realized how distraught she was having to remember whatever had happened when he was gone. "But we didn't part well, sweetheart. I don't remember everything, but I remember putting my hands on you. Hurting you."

"That wasn't you, and you know it." 

"My intentions were not good. I was selfish and I disregarded _you, _the most important thing in my life. I deserved to die." Cleopatra shook her head vigorously as Castiel moved forward to close the space between them and take her hands back in his own, pressing kisses to the bridge of her knuckles. "And there's not anything I can do to fix it, then why did I walk out of that river?" 

"Maybe to fix it." Her fingers danced over the stubble growing at his jawline as Cleopatra turned his chin just a fraction so that her lips were hovering over his own. Castiel's arms moved on their own accord as his other hand pressed against the small of her back, moving her closer and closer until they were close enough for her to feel the calm, rhythmic pounding of his heart beneath her fingertips. 

She tucked a chestnut curl behind his ear. 

"_Flower-" _

"Please." Her voice dropped to a whisper as she pleaded. "Please kiss me so I know this is real, that _you _are real." 

The whisper of a breath ghosted over her face before he sank his hands into her hair and pulled her forward, slanting his lips across her own in what could only be described as every reunion kiss she had ever dreamed of. 

Long, warm and familiar, Cleopatra teased the seam of his lips with her tongue and kept a light grip on his hair as she deepened his kiss, gasping as he lightly squeezed her hips in that way that caught her off guard just enough for him to practically suck on her tongue just because it always stunned her how intimate he became in these moments. 

When the need for air became dire, she pulled away first but not before Castiel could kiss the crown of her forehead. 

''Wait." She snapped her fingers and produced a pair of keys for the Impala's trunk, smiling as she rifled through its contents before producing a neatly folded trench coat that Dean had placed there months beforehand. 

Then a searing wave of pain overwhelmed her and nearly brought her to her knees. 

"What is it?" Castiel wrapped his hands around her shoulders as Cleopatra gasped, eyes snapping open and wildly flickering around the area as she struggled to regain the breath she'd lost. It had been a long time since she'd been so focused in on Sam's emotions, but when he was in a significant amount of emotional or physical pain, she always felt it. 

"_Sam." _She rasped. "I-I'm tuned into his emotions, there's so much _pain_-" 

"Take us to him." 

They landed inside a room with bright white walls which mostly contained nothing except a gurney and a machine meant for electroshock therapy. Castiel disposed of the demon that had restrained Sam to the bed while Cleopatra hurried to turn the machines off, tears burning her eyes as she wrenched the headpiece off of Sam and tossed it aside. "Can you-" 

"I'll make it right." 

Castiel pressed his fingers against Sam's head, clearly intending to rebuild the wall he'd broken, but _something _was blocking his pathway. Sam lifted his head from the bed and peered at him through heavy eyes, muttering "_You're not __real." _before his head fell back to the pillow. 

"Oh Sam." He whispered. "I'm so sorry." 

***

"_You see, the third little pig was smart. He went out and got some bricks." _

Castiel watched as Cleopatra moved to sit behind Sam and pull him into her embrace, his head lolling against her collarbone as she whispered low enough in his ear that he and Dean couldn't hear what she said. 

"What do you mean you can't fix him?!" 

"Cleopatra was right." Castiel replied. "There's something in there that she and I can't get past because it's _blocking _our ability to fix him. The wall was broken beyond repair, it crumbled, and now there's nothing left to rebuild. What's blocking us is that he's.." His eyes softened as she buried her face in his hair. "He's too far gone." 

"So you're saying there's nothing?" Dean asked. "That he's going to be like this until his candle burns out?" 

"I'm sorry. This isn't a problem I can make disappear." He replied. Castiel looked onto Cleopatra and Sam, eyes following the patterns she traced on his torso as her face remained hidden from view. Guilt seeped into his mind at the thought of Sam being another name to add to the list of people she'd lost in her lifetime, a list that was far too long for his liking. "But _maybe _I can shift it." 

That caught her attention. 

"Not in a _million _years." Cleopatra snarled. "If anyone is doing this, it's _me._" 

"Over my dead body.” Castiel replied. “You’re better use to them then I am. This is on me.” 

Dean wrapped his arms through Cleopatras as Castiel practically threw her into his embrace before he laid Sam back on the bed and stood at his right side. "_You _have been lost to me too many times already, Angel." She argued as Cas smoothed his hair away from his face. "And after what I did in Heaven, I think this is my way of repenting. I'll bear his cross for him for a little bit longer while you three take care of Dick Roman!” 

Cas looked at her with a gaze she recognized all too well. “You’ve been taking up other people’s crosses for years. I think it’s time I return the favor.”  
  
“I-I never asked you to!” 

He smiled. “You didn’t have to.” Cas murmured. “Sam, this'll hurt." 

"_No!" _

Dean kept a tight grip on the thrashing Nephilim as tendrils of red light swept up Cas’ forearm, eliciting a sharp gasp from Sam as _whatever _had been going on inside of his mind transferred into the Angel. His vision darkened, the sound around him faded into white noise, and the world was muted for a split second before Lucifer appeared in front of Cas and waved eagerly. 

"_Hello brother.” Castiel _screwed his eyes tightly shut as a voice desperately called his name, but he couldn't hear them. 

***

"We can't just leave them in there!" 

"Cleopatra is literally one of the most dangerous beings on the planet. She can take care of Cas and a run of the mill demon.” Dean replied. Daybreak had come a few hours ago, and after careful examination, Sam had been discharged from the hospital under Dean's supervision while Cleopatra and Meg remained behind to look after Cas. “All the demons who knew about Cas are dead, and she’s the only person out there who can protect him from whatever may come." 

"Not every one." Sam said. "Look Dean, this whole enemy-of-my-enemy thing kinda feels like a demon deal." 

"It's not a deal. It's-" 

"What?" 

Dean's eyes met Sams. "Mutually assured destruction." He replied. "Look man, I get it. She's not our friend, we don't even have friends, but the two most important people to _both _of us are inside that hospital and they're gonna take care of each other." He opened the driver's side door and slipped into the Impala without another word, leaving Sam to look up at the window of the hospital room he'd just left. 

Cleopatra was watching him, dressed in nurses scrubs and _smiling_, like nothing made her happier then the fact that he was on the outside and breathing like every other person on the planet. 

She pressed her hand against the window and mouthed something he couldn't audibly hear, but he heard it in his head. 

_Till we meet again, Sammy. _

Sam pressed his palm against his lips and slowly moved his hand outward. 

"What're you doing, Goldilocks?" 

Cleopatra turned around and narrowed her eyes at Meg, who sat on the other side of a comatose Castiel's bed. "Bidding my boys goodbye," She replied. Taking the chair she'd used whenever Sam was a patient in this room, Cleopatra sat it by Castiel's bed and took his hand in her own. "While I stand vigil over my angel." 

"That was very poetic." 

"Ugh, shut _up _Meg." 


	57. Newcomer, Charlie Bradbury

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> TFW meets Charlie!

[This chapter will be fairly short because now we're getting into the end of season 7, but i thought charlie's introduction needed to happen and so.. here we are! This update is LONG overdue and it's probably terrible because I _hate _S7 but at least its updated!]

***

It took about twelve hours for Cleopatra to grow increasingly tired of Meg. The first few hours were quiet, not a sound but the gentle humming of whatever song came to mind as Castiel slept soundly in the bed beside her. Meg offered to scare away the attendants of the hall in order for her to sleep too, which was how she found herself in the curve of Castiel's body before she succumbed to sleep. 

When she woke, his hand was splayed across her hip and his arm throw around her waist. The sight of it made her smile. 

The boys called her to tell her about Bobby being able to project himself from the Vale. It seemed that in the midst of his death, he'd tethered himself to the flask that Dean refused to get rid of. They called her once a week after that, just so she'd know what was occurring on their end in their fruitless search for Dick Roman. 

"Hey Juliet, are you gonna kiss your Romeo awake?" Meg mused. Cleopatra rose an eyebrow as she pushed her hair behind her shoulders after having just come out of the shower. They often worked in rotations now so someone was in the room with Castiel at all times. "Or, I could leave you and you could.." 

"Doesn't having sex with an unconscious anger classify as rape, Meg?" Cleopatra snapped. "I'd never stoop so low. Shut up." 

They sat in silence after that. It was deafening, and she was _bored._

Bored until the boys called her to tell her they needed her help with their newest predicament: The girl with the dunces and dragons tattoo who was an expert at decryption and was trying to expose all _three _of their lives. 

Charlie Bradbury. 

***

** _Deano: I kid you not, Cleopatra. Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter and Star Trek, she has seen it ALL. Gotta be the biggest nerd I've ever met. _ **

Dean took to texting her as he'd been adamant she remain with Cas until he explicitly said to come. She'd sat there, restless and uneasy, until Meg had practically begged her to leave because she was radiating so much celestial energy that it made her nervous. Cleopatra took off for Dean's last location without a second thought.

"Dean! Sam! Open up!" 

Dean opened the door and smiled at the Nephilim. "Good of you to join us even though I hadn't _said _we needed you-" 

"Yeah, well.. my corporeal side makes Meg nervous and I was restless. You can only do so much while watching over your comatose boyfriend." Cleopatra retorted. The redhead on the couch regarded her with wide eyes as they met each others gaze. "Ah, you must be Charlie. Nice to meet you!" 

"So if they're monster hunters.." Charlie started. "What does that make you?" She gasped as blue eyes flickered to solid gold, and the sight stunned her so much that she nearly fell back onto the couch. 

"Nephilim. Half human, half angel." 

"That is _fascinating!_" 

"Okay, Earth to Geekdom." Sam snapped his fingers to catch their attention. "Back to what we were talking about before Cleo arrived. You hacked into the drive in less then a day. Can you hack into Dick Roman's email?" 

"Why? Oh-" Charlie closed her eyes. "He's one of them." 

"No. He's their leader." For someone who had no idea what was happening at the very heart of the company she was working for, Charlie was taking the news of her boss' real identity rather well. 

"So what's the endgame?" Charlie asked. "Steal our resources, make us his slaves?" 

"Planet wide value meal. We're the meat." 

Cleopatra shivered. "I'm just imagining a _giant _Mcdonalds bag with the world's population stuffed inside that thing. Gods.. that's disturbing-" 

"You-" Charlie laughed in disbelief as all three of them looked at her with deadly serious expressions. "You are serious. Okay.. well.. what am I looking for then?" She moved to the table where her laptop sat and opened the lid with her fingers poised over the keys to begin searching. 

"Well, for starts, uh, anything about archeological dig sites." Dean said. 

"Like Indiana Jones stuff?" She asked. 

"All we know is that Dick has been digging all over the world and we need to know what he's looking for." 

"You know I was having a really good week," Charlie stated as she began typing. "I met someone! Downloaded the new Robyn album, everything was coming up me." 

A warning popped up on her computer: **ACCESS DENIED **

"Oh, crap." 

"Look, we get it sucks." 

"No, this." She gestured to her laptop. "Dick's email isn't on the company server. It's on a private one in his office." 

"Meaning?" Dean asked. 

"You can't get in it unless you have his phone or you're at his desk." Charlie replied. 

"So if we manage to get inside Dick's office," Cleopatra interjected. "That means we can hack into his email?" 

"Not _you. _Only someone like-" The Nephilim smirked as she watched the realization of what they were asking flicker across their newest acquaintances face. "I'm not doing it! I'm doing my job and--" She paused. "What are the chances I see everything on that drive and Dick lets me live anyway?" 

"I think you know." Sam replied. 

"So I erase the drive first. Protect me and you, and then I go back to my old life. Right?" 

Cleopatra felt her heart ache at the hope that was on full display in front of her. That was how she'd felt before she'd met Sam and Dean in the barn, before the angel had appeared to her in the park and before she'd realized she was destined to be the soulmate of someone who could die as easily as she could. Her life was one of suffering and heartbreak. 

Charlie Bradbury was about to get dealt the same hand. 

"What?" 

"It's not that easy." Dean said. "You're on Dick's radar now. We _all _are. That means you don't have an old life anymore." 

"I'm gonna die." She murmured in disbelief. 

"Not if I have anything to do with it." The redhead lifted her head to meet the eyes of the woman who sat across from her. "It's okay if you can't do it, Charlie. You didn't volunteer to do it. If you will though, I'll be there with you to make sure nothing happens. That's what I'm for. Damage control." 

Charlie surely wasn't expecting the breathtaking smile that followed. 

"Totally. Exactly. I'm gonna volunteer anyway." 

"Well, I surely wasn't expecting that-" Cleopatra muttered. 

"I have to go back in anyways to wipe Frank's drive, so I might as well break into Dick's office too." She said. "But there's _no way _under this golden sun and blue sky I'm not doing it without your angelic friend over here." Cleopatra blushed as Charlie winked at her. "I'd sure appreciate the company!" 

"Are you sure?" 

"No, but these things are going to eat everyone I know. What kind of douchebag stands by for that? However, I've never broken into anything in real life before. Do we have a plan?" 

Dean smirked and stood to his feet. "Do you have a Bluetooth?" 

"Yeah."

The brothers took a seat on either side of the table as Cleopatra came to stand beside Charlie. "The security system. Can you get into that?" 

"I can reroute any cameras we need." She replied. 

Bobby smiled from where he stood as the four of them worked together to build a plan to break back into the building and erase Frank's drive before Dick could really find out who was hot on his trail to stopping him. 

***

Cleopatra was the one who managed to get Charlie into the building without going through the front door, and then their escapade was halted by the realization that Bobby had stowed himself away in the flash in Charlie's bag. He had every intention of continuing the fight. That would not end well. 

She quietly trailed behind the redhead as she passed through each level of security, invisible to the average human eyes, and did not show herself again until Charlie was safely ensconced within Dick's office. 

"_Tada!" _

Charlie nearly shrieked as the Nephilim made herself visible. "_Force!_" She exclaimed. "How-Do I even want to ask how you did that?!" 

"No, but you're running out of time and the guard you just made heart eyes at will realize you're in here before too long. Get to work." 

The halfbreed straightened her shoulders and crossed her arms over her chest as she stood guard by the door. 

After a run-in with the guard, Cleopatra followed Charlie back out to her cubicle and hid quietly in the corner when Pete, her supervisor, came back into the room. Charlie stiffened when the Leviathan gripped her arm, but a wave of gold light poured from the corner of her cubicle and turned him away. 

"What did you do?" 

"Caught his attention. He'll stay away." 

The two women locked eyes. "Are you sure you're not my guardian angel?" Charlie mused, to which Cleopatra laughed quietly. Her phone had started vibrating when they were in the office with texts from Meg. 

"Baby, I can be whatever you want me to be." 

After rifling through a series of emails that nearly bored her out of her skull, Charlie and Cleopatra discovered that a suitcase that had passed through armored cars and private planes all the way from Iran was about to touch down on US soil. Whatever the case contained was something of significant value to the Leviathans. 

"_Cleo-" _Charlie warned quietly. The Nephilim whipped around and gasped as Dick Roman had appeared behind them _before _she could mask her presence. He didn't seem too bothered by her being there though. 

"Crap!" 

***

"So what have we won?" Sam asked. 

The brothers opened the case and frowned as they pulled out a large rectangular object encased in red clay. 

They stared at it skeptically "Did we just win a giant hunk of red clay?" 

"I don't know, but we're gonna get our angel and find out a couple thousand miles from here." 

***

_Bobby._

It turned out that even in death, Bobby Singer was still full of surprises. 

After making a hasty escape by teleporting to the lobby, Cleopatra and Charlie had been stopped by a few Leviathans and Dick who had no intention of allowing them to leave the building with the intel they had gathered. 

She was too focused on subduing the one on top of her to aid Charlie before she was thrown against the wall. 

Sheer strength threw the creature off of her, and she reached into her leather coat for the flask of borax she now kept on her person. 

Dean and Sam helped aid in a hasty escape while Bobby distracted Dick long enough for them to leave. 

"Charlie, CLeopatra's gonna get that arm healed right up." Dean said, to which Cleopatra nodded and gently laid her hand on the other woman's shoulder. "Talk to us. Are you okay?" 

"No!" She exclaimed. "Why didn't you kill him?" 

"We can't yet." Sam replied quietly. There was still so much more to be done to ensure the safety of the human race. So many people to save. 

"Oh-Okay." Cleopatra smiled as her eyes fluttered, the warmth of her angelic grace flooding her body with fatigue as she combated sleep. "I'm going to pass out now." 

Cleopatra guided her to rest her head in her lap as she laid her own against the seat behind her. 

Yeah. She liked Charlie. 

Quite alot. 

***

The next morning found them at the nearest bus station bidding the fiery redhead farewell, for now. 

"She's like the little sister I never wanted!" Dean exclaimed, to which Sam and Cleopatra both laughed. "Well, I got _you_, but we're not that far apart in age! You-" He guffawed as she rose an eyebrow. "Stop looking at me like that?" 

"Okay, okay you two.'' Sam chided. "We need to talk." 

"You mean before we get back to the car?" Dean asked. "And the flask?" 

"Exactly." Sam paused. "So what happened back in the lobby, Dean?" 

"Man, if I'd had a free shot-" 

"Yeah, but Charlie got her freakin' arm broken!" 

"He didn't mean to do it." 

"Exactly. He's not in control. Not about Dick! That was some vengeful spirit crap!" 

Cleopatra exhaled the breath she hadn't realized she was holding. Dean and Sam had never been good at letting people go, and now it seemed that they were going to have to _really _let Bobby rest. It would be a struggle for them. 

"I know." Dean said quietly. "But it's still Bobby." 

She rested a hand on both their arms to draw their eyes to hers. "If he goes there, he won't be anymore." She replied. "Then we won't be able to pull him back. What do you do then?" 

"I know." 

"I know what he means to you both. Crap, _I _even grew to like the old man." She mused. "But letting go.. that's hard. Letting Bobby go will mean he has peace. Isn't that what you'd want for someone in the life? To have _peace?_" 

They didn't have to verbally acknowledge it for her to know they agreed. 

"C'mon. Let's figure out what the thing we stole is and what to do with Bobby." 

Cleopatra stopped them both in their tracks, smiled up at them, and took a Winchester on each arm as they walked back to the car. 

<><><><><><><><><><><>

I gotta tell you guys, I nearly stopped writing this fic entirely. This'll be long. Bear with me a minute. 

I started writing this fic when S13 aired in 2017. I finished the show right before the air date and I was in _love _with it. There's still so much here that you have yet to see and I can't wait to share it with you! But let me tell you... I was tempted. 

The last time I updated this was sometime in October or November either before or after they killed Rowena off. 

I am one of the minority who isn't that happy with S15. They brought back too many dead characters and left them loose, which annoyed me. The writing with Chuck and the ten straight episodes of pure _angst _was too much for me to deal with, but killing Rowena in The Rupture sealed the deal as did the return of Eileen. **DISCLAIMER: **I love Shoshannah Stern and am immensely impressed at her representation, but I just.. I don't like Eileen. :( 

I haven't touched this fic since then. I just.. I couldn't do it even after they brought Rowena back. I cried harder for her then I did when Marvel killed Tony off in Endgame. I just thought.. _how do I write this? How do I devastate myself by writing this again? _

15x11 sparked some hope, but not alot. I'm not giving up on Castiel now. I gotta tell you though.. I'm dreading having to let him go. 

Updates on this will be more frequent once we get out of S7. We've got alot coming. I want you to be there for it! 


	58. Teeny Tiny Kevin Tran

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A prophet makes his appearance.

"It's a rock." 

"One _giant _looking rock." Dean grinned as he held up the hammer in his hands. "Why don't we smash and see what's _inside _the rock?" 

Cleopatra grimaced and allowed the brothers to step up to the table where they'd placed the object. It may have appeared to only be a piece of stone, but if Dick was this set on getting his hands on it, then they needed to know exactly _what _they had just stolen. 

Thunder rumbled with the first hit.

And the second.

And the third. 

"Does that sound like someone's trying to tell you to stop?" Dean asked. 

"Uh.. yeah." Sam replied. 

Dean looked to the Nephilim in the corner of the room who looked oddly intrigued by the prospect of something so _powerful _being encased in solid stone, but she had yet to say another word as she waited for them to reveal the object. 

He shrugged absently before raising his arm to strike again. "Oh well." 

Thunder rumbled and lightning cracked across the sky as the tablet was unveiled, and somewhere in Michigan, a prophet was given his eyes. 

***

The first thing that happened after the boys unveiled the tablet was the _relief _that flooded through her, like her body knew something good had just happened before she did. Cleopatra reached into the pocket of her coat and pulled her out her cellphone. Surely enough, the screen lit up with a message from Meg. 

** _Meg: Hey there, lovebird. Your boy just woke up. Ditch Tweedle Dee and Dum and come see him, he's asking for you. _ **

She cast a look over her shoulder to ensure at least one of the brothers was preoccupied, and Cleopatra crept up behind Sam while Dean had his attention on the computer and whispered, "_Sleep." _The younger Winchester buckled beneath the command of her word and she gently laid him down on the misshapen mattress they'd secured upon entry. 

Meg looked up from her magazine and smirked as the Nephilim appeared at Castiel's bedside, only to find the angel in question nowhere to be found. "Oh, don't worry." She mused. "Your boyfriend is wreaking havoc on the attendants who patrol this floor at this time of night. He's.." 

"Unhinged?" 

"That's one word for it." 

Almost as if he _knew _she was there, of course he did, they were _soulmates - _Castiel burst into the room and beamed in such an uncharacteristic way that it made her heart near fit to burst. "Honeybee!" He exclaimed. "Oh, I've been waiting to show you this trick. Come here! You'll love it!" 

"You mean the magic trick that woke you out of your coma?" Cleopatra asked. Castiel shook his head and beckoned her closer, closer, _closer _until they were barely a breadth apart. It had been a _long _time since he'd been this close. She missed his presence, his _aura_, Cleopatra had just missed _him._ "Angel-" 

"Pull my finger." 

The question caught her so off guard that Meg started laughing from the other side of the room. "Well, oblige him, half breed!" She exclaimed. "Believe me, it's worth the confusion." Cleopatra slowly turned her head back towards the Seraphim and extended her hand, lightly tugging on his index finger. 

Every single lightbulb in the room shattered. 

Meg was right. The laughter that poured from her then was so great that it blurred her eyes and made her sides hurt, but the _pride _radiating from the expression the angel in front of her wore was a sight she wanted to remember forever. 

"The boys are here." Meg's voice pulled her out of her hysteria and Cleopatra straightened her spine, breathing heavily as she wiped the tears from her eyes. "Watch Cassanova. I'll go get them." She cast one look down the opposite end of the hallway and disappeared to retrieve Sam and Dean, who no doubt were probably wondering why she had left them in the middle of the night. 

Castiel turned his attention away from the window and snapped his fingers, replacing all the broken bulbs in the room with new ones. "Honeybee." His voice was barely a whisper as she lifted her eyes to meet his own and extended her hand to wrap around his wrist. "Hello." 

The _joy _he felt from her was not something he'd been expecting. They had so much to catch up on. "Hello, sweet angel." She breathed. "I missed you." 

Afraid he'd shy away from too much intimacy, Cleopatra settled for taking his hand and pressing it against her cheek, to which she immediately leaned into his touch. Castiel's eyes softened -there was something so distinctly _him _that was missing in his gaze - as she pressed the ghost of a kiss to his palm to ensure him that she still _cared_, despite what happened, and dropped his hand to his side just as the brothers entered the room. 

"Cas?" Dean asked. 

She watched him turn away from her and towards Dean and Sam. He looked so _small _in his trench coat. This.. this wasn't somebody who was an _Angel of the Lord. _This Castiel.. he was _broken. _"Hello Dean.'' He greeted. "Sam." 

"Well, look at you walking and talking. That's great.. right?" Cleopatra could see it there, the disbelief and the fear, as Dean spoke to the angel. It almost seemed too good to be true. 

Again Castiel lifted his hand with his index finger extended, and Cleopatra resisted the urge to laugh at the utter bewilderment on Dean's face. "Pull my finger." 

The elder Winchester peered over his shoulder to look at the other woman in the room. "What?" He asked. "Is-Is he serious?" 

"Oh, I'm afraid he is." Cleopatra replied. "Just.. oblige him, Dean." 

Inhaling deeply, Dean nodded and pulled Castiel's finger towards him, and every lightbulb in the room again shattered on command. If this was the way that celestials pulled pranks.. Cleopatra didn't want to be involved in a full-scale prank war with them. 

Cleopatra and Meg set to working on the nearest lamp while Dean and Sam sat Castiel down on the bed to see what all he remembered from before he'd gone into his coma. "Hang on, Cas." Dean urged. "Just let us catch up to you for a second." 

"So you're saying you remember who you are, _what _you are." Sam interjected. 

"Yes. Of course. _Oh._" He turned back around to face them with this utter look of _wonder _in his eyes. That was one of the things she had appreciated about him -_his infinite fondness for Earth and humanity_\- from the very moment they'd met in the park in Lawrence. "Outside today, in the garden, I followed a honeybee. I saw the Route of Flowers. It's all right there, the whole plan. There's nothing to add!"

"You might wanna add a little more Thorazine." 

Meg snorted. "Right?" She said. "He's been like the naked guy at the ravers ever since he woke up. Totally useless. It seems the only thing that actually _calms _him is-" She motioned with her head to the bed where Cleopatra was sitting with her legs tucked beneath her, eyes fluttering as she tried not to lean back into Dean. "Her." 

Dean laid the Nephilim down on the bed and smoothed her hair behind her ears. "Nephilim power nap." He whispered. "Give her fifteen minutes, she'll be fine." 

"Will you look at her? My caretaker." Castiel said fondly. "All of that thorny pain.. so beautiful." He moved closer to the bed and knelt down beside it to gaze at the woman who laid before him. "And my soulmate, the one who bested all of Heaven for me. Oh.. how her soul _burns._" 

They weren't sure if the poetry was _bad _or _good. _

"We've been over this." Meg snapped. "I don't like poetry. Put up or shut up."

Castiel smirked and tilted his head just as Sam was finally uncomfortable by the sexual tension practically vibrating in the air. "Okay!" He exclaimed, clapping his hands together. "So, Cas. You said you woke up last night?" 

"Yes. I heard a _ping _that pierced me, and well.. You wouldn't have heard it unless you were an angel at the time." 

Sam crossed the room to the small side-table by the door to retrieve the duffel bag that was currently carrying the tablet. "It's also when we opened this." Castiel opened the bag and peered at the tablet within. 

"Oh, of course. Now I understand." 

"Understand _what?_" Sam asked.

"You were the ones." He laughed quietly and turned away with the tablet in his hands. "Huh, I guess that does make sense. If someone was going to free the Word from the vault of the Earth, it would end up being you two." Castiel threw his arms over the brothers' shoulders and pulled them down to him in a hug. "Oh, I love you guys." 

_The Word. _

_"Look. _Okay. All right. Okay." They clasped him on the back simultaneously and pulled away. "You said something about _The Word? _Is that what's written on it?" 

"Did you know a cats penis is sharply barbed along its shaft?" Both brothers expressions fell flat at the abrupt change of subject. "I know for a fact that the females were not consulted on that." Sam looked to his brother, who was growing more and more irritated the longer they stood here and did not receive the answers they were looking for. 

"Cas, _please._" Dean was practically begging at this point. They were running out of time, out of _options_, and the only saving grace they really had left was an off-his-rocker angel and his unconscious soulmate who could probably do with twenty naps to make up for the sleep she lost in the life they led. "We're losing ground out there and we need your help." 

"Hey, this is the hand writing of Metatron!" 

_Name to be saved for later. _"Metatron?!" Sam scoffed. "You-You're saying a Transformer wrote that?" 

"_Gods,_" All four pairs of eyes turned towards the waking woman in the bed who shoved her head beneath the pillow. "Do you four _ever _shut up? I'm trying to sleep!" 

"You could be of more use too, you know!" Dean snapped. Sensing the growing frustration and anger rolling off the elder Winchester in waves, Cleopatra blinked the sleep from her eyes and sat up before leaning into the warmth of Sam at her left. 

"First off, that's _Megatron, _you fool." She replied. "And secondly, as far as I know, Metatron is an angel who took down dictation when Creation was being formed." 

Castiel smiled. "I taught you well." 

"That's the Word of God?" 

"One of them, yeah." 

"Well, what does it say then?" Castiel held the tablet higher in the light and peered at the inscription. 

"Uh... "Tree." "Horse." "Fiddler Crab." I can't read it, it wasn't meant for angels." He replied. 

"Okay, this all sounds bad." Meg said. "What are you two doing with the Word of God?" She went to move and take the tablet from Dean, and Castiel was so _rattled _by the air of conflict that lingered around him that he disappeared fast enough for the tablet to fall from his hands and shatter on impact against the ground. 

Cleopatra's eyes snapped open. _He doesn't like conflict. _

"Where did he go, Meg?" 

"The day room." 

The Nephilim disappeared before either of the brothers could argue. 

***

When Dean finally found the day room, he was greeted with the sight of Castiel and Cleopatra sitting across from each other ensconced in a game of _Sorry. _It absolutely amazed him how _patient _she'd managed to be with her boyfriend. 

It was all so.. domestic.

"You realize you just broke God's Word, right?" Dean asked. He took the seat from beside Cleopatra and lowered himself into it before folding his hands on the table. "It's Sam's thing, isn't it? You taking on his cage-match scars. I'm guessing that's what broke your bank." 

Cleopatra shuddered. If _she _had been the one to take on Sam's hallucinations of Lucifer like she had originally intended to, they'd be having an entirely different conversation right now. "Well," Cas replied, an _odd _little smile quirking up the corners of his mouth. "It took everything to get me here." 

"What are you talking about, man?"

"Dean." His expression contorted into one of sorrow, of shame, of pity that he could not give his human what he wanted. "I know you want different answers." 

"_No-_" Dean snapped. "I want you to button up your coat, take your girls hand, and help us take down Leviathans." She watched him from the corner of her eyes. How his jaw tensed, his eyes hardened. Like that of a _soldier. _"Do you remember what you did?" 

There was no answer. Cleopatra waited for the truth that he _did _remember what he'd done because she could _see _the memories clearly in his mind as if they were her own. His sorrow over leaving her behind, the guilt that festered within him when he realized what his power trip had caused. The pain he caused them all was something he'd carry for years. 

She snapped her fingers and reset the Sorry board, pushing it towards the other two. This wasn't _their _turn to talk about what happened. It was his and Deans. 

"Alright, you two. Who's going to go first?" 

***

"You know, we weren't sure at first which moneys were gonna make it." Cleopatra slid the bottle of Jack Daniels down the table as Castiel continued speaking. Ten minutes had felt like ten _years _and so she'd disappeared in search of the nearest liquor store and had procured a bourbon she and Dean both appreciated before returning to their table. "No offense, but I was backing the Neanderthals because their poetry was just amazing. It was in perfect tune with the spheres. In the end, though, it was you. The _homo sapiens sapiens. _You guys ate the apple, invented pants-" 

"Cas, where can we find this Metatron? Is he still alive?" Dean asked. 

"I'm sorry. I think you have to go back to start."

Dean slammed his red pawn against the **_start _**portion of the board and lifted his head back up. His response was cut off by the gentle lull of Cleopatra's voice. ''Castiel, _Angel. _Look at me." The Seraphim turned his head towards the Nephilim and smiled. "I know you don't want to talk about this because it breeds conflict, but we need to know." She was so _patient, _so _understanding. _Dean was jealous of her ability to be so undeniably _human. _"Can you help us? Help _me?_" 

There it was. That same _emptiness. _

"We live in a ''Sorry'' universe, honeybee." He said, moving his pawn across the board as he spoke. "It's engineered to create conflict. I mean, why should I prosper from your misfortune? But these are the rules. I didn't make them." 

"_You made some of them._" Dean replied coldly. "When you tried to become God, when you cut that hole into that wall."

"Dean- It's your move." 

The board went flying across the room. Cleopatra snapped upward and rested her hand against Dean's arm, projecting waves of _calm _through him with her grace. Castiel shamefully hung his head as the elder brother seethed before him. He was not fond of when his humans thought him to be the failure he already knew he was. 

"Forget the _game_, Cas." It was obvious Dean was trying to rein in his anger, which she appreciated. 

"I'm sorry Dean." 

"_No. _You're _playing _Sorry." 

Dean left the room after that. Cleopatra rounded the table and enveloped the angel from behind, whispering Enochian words of veneration in his ear as she tried to ease the frantic pounding of his vessel's heart. They both felt it then - the surge of _power _\- from the floor above where his room had been. "It's Sam." Castiel murmured. "He's talking to angels." 

"Let's go meet him then." 

The two of them entered the room to find two of the angels from Castiel's previous garrison jabbering on. Cleopatra didn't pay attention to any of it except the words _prophet _and _keeper of the word,_ which she assumed had something to do with the petrified teenage boy who was pressed against the headboard of the bed with the tablet against his chest. 

"Castiel." The male angel murmured. The female angel looked _angry_, but that was nothing new. 

"Hi." 

"You, and _you._" Cleopatra clenched her jaw as the female angels fury was redirected back at _her, _no doubt for the thousands of corpses she'd left lining the halls of Heaven. "You smote _thousands _in Heaven, and for what? Revenge for _him? _From the minute he laid his hand on you on Earth, he was _lost! _There was no saving our brother from the Nephilim he was sent to destroy when you find out he's her _soulmate. _How shameful.. no one is going to get their happy ending here." 

"You know you have alot of big words for someone who doesn't take action." Dean quietly snorted under his breath as gold eyes flickered in the darkness of the room. 

"Hester, Inias, I know you want something." Castiel interjected. "And I.. I wish it could be that, there are still so many things that I have the ability to teach you. I can offer, um.. well.. _perspective! _Here, pull my finger" 

The disappointment and disgust did not go unnoticed. 

"Uh, _uh.. _Meg will get another light and I will blow it out again. This time it'll be funny, and we'll all look back on it and laugh."

"You're insane." 

Well, that much was obvious. 

"Hey." Dean's low baritone cut through the room, and Cleopatra watched as Castiel, Hester and Inias were expelled by the angel banishing sigil he'd painted on the wall outside of the door. "Well, all angels blown back to their corners. We have like three to four hours tops." 

Sam turned his attention to Meg and the angel blade she was gripping. "Meg, where did you get that?" 

"Alot of angels died this year-" 

"_What's happening?!_" The boy on the bed couldn't have been any older then seventeen or eighteen, and the panic in his voice drew her attention away from Castiel's disappearance to him. "What's happening?!" 

"What is that?" 

"A prophet." Cleopatra breathed. Kevin seemed to get an aura of _safety _and _respite _from her, and so he moved closer to Cleopatra as she sat on the bed. "A _teeny tiny _prophet. Look at him! He's practically a baby!" 

"_That _is Kevin Tran." Sam replied. "He's in Advanced Placement."

***

"So you're saying these Leviathans, these monsters... they're real?" Kevin asked. "And angels? With wings?" 

"No wings." Sam replied. Cleopatra lifted a brow in confusion as she thought the brothers _knew _that angels, including herself, had wings. "No.. anything, really." 

"No _junk! _They're junkless." Dean took a seat on the ledge in front of the window. "So, Kevin. You can read the chicken scratch on the god-rock, huh?" 

The teenager stammered, clearly unsure of what to say. She understood that well. Factoring the supernatural into a world you didn't know they already existed in was overwhelming, to say the least. 

"That was by far the _strangest _thing I've ever heard you say." Cleopatra said. 

"Said God Rock happens to be back in one piece, I see. You're saying there's some sort of _How-To-Punch-Dick _recipe somewhere in there?" 

"I don't know what you're saying, but it seems like an in case of emergency note? Now, can someone tell me what they meant by prophet?" 

Dean grimaced. "Oh no," He groaned. "_Really?_" 

Sam nodded. "Yeah, that's what the angel said." 

"I don't want to be a Prophet." 

"Yeah, you don't. At all." 

Cleopatra stood to her feet and threw her hands over her head to ease the ache in her shoulders and neck, grimacing as she heard the distinguishable _crack _of her joints. "Gentlemen," She called out. "I love introductions and realizations of crappy things to add to a crappy life, but I think Meg will agree with me when I say we need to get moving." 

"We need safety in numbers." Meg gestured to the five of them. "This is numbers." 

"Alright," Dean nodded his agreement. "We'll go to Rufus' cabin. The kid can do his book report there." 

***

The most embarrassing thing to happen to her thus far was being halfway across Minnesota, further and further away from St. Cloud, when Castiel made a rather _unconventional _entrance to their car and fell _right _into her lap. 

Oh.. _Gods. _

"_Castiel,_" Cleopatra hissed through gritted teeth as the angel looked at her over his shoulder, despite the strangled gasp from the teenager that sat to her left. Dean and Sam were trying desperately hard not to laugh at how unbothered he appeared to be. "_Angel, _do you intend for me to-" 

"Hush." He mused. "You do not need as much air as the rest of them do. You're fine." As if to torture her further, he allowed his hand to rest just on the inside of her thigh where she was now _tingling. Insufferable._

Cleopatra neatly tucked the end of his coat at her side and hid her hands beneath the torso, curling over the fabric of his shirt and absently tracing shapes along his abdomen. "Kevin," She murmured. "This is Castiel." 

The teenage boy peered at the angel who sat astride his soulmate and swallowed the knot in his throat. "You.." He started. "You're one of the angels?" 

Kevin waited for his answer and received a small yet gentle _boop _on the nose instead. Cleopatra hid her laughter in-between his shoulder blades and continued tracing the contours of his body beneath the coat as they talked. 

"Meg, Cleo.. are either of you hurt?" 

"_Shut up." _

"Cas," Dean interjected. "Who were those guys?" 

Castiel took her hands into his own and removed them from his abdomen to lace their fingers together. Warmth filled her body to the soles of her feet as he leaned forward to speak to Dean. "They're from the garrison. _My _former garrison." He replied. It must've been the one he'd been assigned to whenever he'd received _the _mission. "It looks like Hester has taken over. We were assigned to watch the Earth. Often it was boring." 

She caught the _everything except meeting you _across the bond they shared. 

"Yeah, I can imagine." She said. 

"Your wars are very boring, your sex.. repetition. Anyway, I was their Captain. Isn't that strange?" 

"Cas, why are they pissed at us _now?_" Sam asked. 

"_Cas!_" Dean snapped as Castiel was quietly talking to Meg and Cleopatra about the racing dogs he'd encountered during his short tenure in Perth. "Don't make me pull this car over. Why are angels after us?" 

_Confusion _and _fear _trickled into her mind. Cleopatra pulled him back into her arms and whispered in his mother tongue in hopes he would calm. "Are you angry?" He asked. "Why are you angry?" 

Dean caught the golden glare in the dark. Talking to this version of Castiel was very much like talking to a child, and that was something he seemed to be forgetting. "No-" He stammered. "No, that's not-Can we just stay on topic here?" 

"There's no reason for anger. They're only following protocol. If the Word of God is revealed, a Keeper of the Word will awaken like this hot potato right here." Kevin grimaced as Castiel continuously poked at the end of his nose. "Garrison code dictates that you take the Keeper to the desert to learn the word away from men." 

"What kind of sense does that make? He has to tell us so that we can use it!" 

"Just God and his shiny red apples." 

"I can't go to the desert!" Kevin exclaimed. "I'm moving to-I'm moving and applying to Princeton!" 

Cleopatra shot the younger boy a sympathetic look before burying her face back into Castiel's coat. It smelled like dust and rain and _him _and the combination of all three was enough to make her drowsy. He must have sensed it too because he snapped his fingers and they were in the opposite position, her head lolling on his shoulder as she fought sleep. 

He curled her legs beneath her and rested his hand on the curve of her hip like it was the most natural thing in the world. 

Cleopatra faded in and out of the conversation until she heard, "_I don't fight anymore." _clearly from Castiel's mouth. Grimacing, the Nephilim lifted her hand until her fingers rested against his temple, and the Seraph was shown the images she'd been working so desperately to hide from him. 

_A hallway that leads towards an office. Bodies lined up as if they're being ID'D by their loved ones. Blood, angel blades, scorched wings on the walls and floor. _

_Zion, his fallen brother, saving Heaven by using her love to break through the walls she'd built. The walls erected by her rage and her grief. _

"I fought for you." She whispered in his ear. "Now will you fight for me?" 

***

They should've known Meg was going to give them up at some point. It came as a _shock _to Cleopatra (not really, but she tried to act like it) whenever she came back into Rufus' cabin wielding the demon knife coated in blood that was not her own. 

Castiel had not left her side since she'd asked him the question he had yet to give an answer for. 

"Didn't expect to see you back." Meg's head snapped up at the sound of Sam's voice as she rocked on her heels inside of the Devil's Trap. 

"Yeah, not without the king's army." Dean muttered. "Knife. _Now."_ She furrowed her brow and laid it in his palm by the hilt. 

"Typical." She snapped. "I save our bacon and here you are waiting by a Devil's Trap." Cleopatra pressed her lips together tightly as the demon's eyes flickered between the four of them as if she were waiting for _someone _to jump to her defense. "Seriously?! I just killed _two _of Crowleys men, I could've gone the other way on that." 

"It's true, incidentally." Castiel chimed in from where he stood beside her. "There's other demons blood on that blade.''

"Look. I'm _simpler _then you think. I've figured one thing out about this world, just one.. you find a cause and you serve it. Give yourself over and it orders your life. Lucifer and Yellow Eyes, their mission was it for me." 

"So you want us to trust you because you wanted to free Satan from Hell?" Dean asked. 

"I'm talking _cause_, douchebag. As in a reason to get up in the morning?" 

Cleopatra met Castiel's eyes and smiled. _Like you. _The blush that accented the whites of his scrubs and the pale color of his cheeks made her grin widen. 

"Obviously we learn from these things. We grow. Now for me currently, the cause is bringing down The King and I know I'll need help to do it." Meg said. 

"Crowley ain't the problem this year!" 

"When are you going to get it? Crowley is _always _the problem. He's just waiting for the right moment to strike! I know what I'm supposed to do, and it isn't screw with Sam and Dean or lose the only angel and his half breed that'd go to bat for me." 

Sam, who seemed to be moved by her words, crossed the cabin and dragged his foot against the white chalk they'd used to draw the trap. Meg breathed a sigh of relief and stepped out of it. "This is good." Castiel commented. "Harmony, communication. Now our only problem is Hester." 

Dean _and _Sam snorted at how fast Cleopatras eyebrows practically shot up to the top of her head. "Oh?" She asked. "And you decide to mention her _now?"_

_"Well, _we're hidden from the garrison but when you killed the demon it put out a pretty clear beacon." 

"We need better angel proofing _now-"_

As if on cue, the front door flew off its hinges and landed rather ungracefully in the front yard of the house. 

"You _took _the Prophet from us?!" Hester exclaimed. All five of them whipped around to face the female angel as she gazed at them. It seemed though that the majority of her disdain and her disgust was directed at Castiel. 

"I'm sorry?" 

"You have fallen in every way imaginable." 

Cleopatra tried not to wince at the truth behind her words, but he saw right through her. Inias seemed to be the _smarter _of the two angels and again asked Castiel to assist them in following their Code so they could do the work they'd been assigned to do upon Creation's birth. 

"He can't help you-He can't help _anybody!_" Dean exclaimed. 

"We don't need his help, or his permission." Inias nodded to Hester and disappeared, only to reappear at Kevin's shoulder and take the boy by the arms. "The Keeper goes to the desert tonight." Cleopatra's hand slid down to her thigh only to realize that she'd been going without her angel blade for.. well.. too long. _Crap. _

"Woah, hey-Back off! We're actually trying to clean up one of your angels messes!" 

"He's right." Castiel replied. "An angel brought a Leviathan back into this world, and they begged him. They _begged _him not to do it." 

"Look," Hester's eyes snapped over to Cleopatra as she emerged from behind Castiel and held her hands up in surrender. It was about the closest she was going to give them to mercy, given that her given name by the angels now rang true. "just give us some time and we'll take care of your Prophet." 

"Why should we give you _anything?_" Hester snarled. "You're the reason half of my brothers and sisters are dead! After everything you've taken from us? The very touch of you corrupts. When Castiel first laid a hand on you he was _lost! _For that, you're going to pay." 

Blue flickered to gold as the Nephilim cracked the joints in her knuckles and curled them into fists. "Oh, _babe._" She mused. "I'd _love _to see you try." 

Prepared to strike out at the angel as she had done to many before her, Cleopatra waited for the blow to land. Nothing came. Castiel gently urged her backwards towards Dean and took his sisters hand to lead her away from his Nephilim. 

"_Please._" He pleaded. "They're the ones we were put here to protect." 

"_No." _And Hester threw her fist into his face, knocking the angel off his feet and back towards the wall. 

_Save him. _Cleopatra rushed forward and found her arms locked behind her back by Dean, who happened to be one of the only people who could actually manage to keep her contain when her anger became too much to handle. _Save him. _

"No more madness!" 

_Protect him. _

"No more promises!"

_Cherish him. _

"No more new Gods!"

_Love him. _

Her heart leapt in her chest when she recognized the glint of an angel blade and the blood that stained pale cheeks. It all felt so similar to when they'd been captured by Heaven the first time. "Hester, no!" Inias exclaimed, scrambling outward to grip her arm before she could deliver the final blow. _Save him save him please save him. _"There's so few of us left." 

The male angel gasped as she threw her hand into his nose. 

"You wanted free will?" Deans hand curved over her bicep and followed down her arm until she realized he was laying his angel blade in her palm. "Now _I'm _making the choices." 

Cleopatra surged outward and thrust her blade into Hester's chest. No one dared to move even after the body fell at their feet. 

Castiel tried and failed to lift his eyes to meet those of the woman who stood before him. His chest ached painfully - as if a vice had been _wrapped _around his lungs and just kept squeezing - and he was sure his vessel's lungs were going to give out because he just could not seem to _breathe, _his face hurt and there was blood on his tongue and he just wanted it all to _stop. _

So for that moment, it did. 

Cleopatra bent down and scooted forward until her knees pressed to his own, and then she took out the bandanna from inside her coat pocket and began to dab at the blood covering his lips. "Kind. Selfless. Compassionate. Worthy." The way his eyes glistened and flickered down to meet her own made something stir low within her, like a creature preparing to wake from the depths of sleep. Despite the pain and suffering she'd inflicted on his brothers and sisters, here before him sat the most gentle woman in creation, and she was _his._ "Selfless. Sincere. _Beautiful." _After cleaning the blood from his face, she looked at him like he was the center of her entire universe, and Cleopatra smiled. "_Mine._" 

***

"Be ready, Kevin Tran." Cleopatra stirred at the sound of Inias' voice but did not wake from her spot beside Castiel, who had yet to move from where they'd settled after Dean and Sam had gone to bury Hester. "Bring the Keeper to his home, we can watch over him there." 

Three angels disappeared with Kevin in their grasps. 

Dean turned around to face the angel who held the woman he so _obviously _cared for in his arms. There was no doubt in his mind that Castiel loved her. Now it was about hearing them _say it _to each other. "I couldn't find Meg anywhere." He stated. The demon had disappeared after Hester's charade and they had not seen her since. 

"Yes, well.. She enjoys laying low." 

Dean furrowed his brow and turned his attention to the notebook in Sam's hands. Kevin had been busy at work the previous afternoon in doing what translation he could of the tablet. "Here." He guided the pen along the line. "_Leviathan cannot be slain but by the bone of a righteous mortal washed in the three bloods of the fallen. _It.. uh.. says we need to start with the blood of a fallen angel." 

Castiel gently moved Cleopatra enough to reach into the pocket of his trench coat and produce the small vial of blood he'd procured the night before. "Here." He called out softly. Dean turned to him and cupped his hands, allowing the vial to fall into his grasps. "I'm always happy to bleed for the Winchesters." 

Dean was obviously taken aback by the _trust _in that action. 

"What are you going to do?" He motioned to the woman in his arms. "And are you taking her with you?" 

"No." Cas replied. "I think.. I think it's best she remains with you. You two need her more then I do right now." He slowly stood to his feet and carried Cleopatra over to the sofa in the center of the room, laying her down on the cushions and drawing the blanket up to her chin. The truth of the matter was that they'd already spent too much time apart and there was still so much left _unsaid. _He didn't want to leave her with the brothers, but it was right thing to do.

"No. She's helped us through _so _much." Sam was the one who thought to argue even as his eyes were still trained on the translations. ''You two have alot to catch up on. Dean and I will take it from here.'' 

Castiel wasn't going to argue with him. 

"I don't know what we'll do." He whispered, smiling contentedly as blue eyes fluttered open to meet his own. Her hands crept upward and rested against the curve of his jaw, tracing the muscle beneath the bone as she slowly roused from her sleep. "Isn't that amazing?" 

In a little corner of the world, an angel and his Nephilim arrive in search of... well.. _respite _and _solitude. _But not alone, oh no. They find it in each other. 

The Winchester brothers do as they always do. 

They carry on. 

"_Let's get to work." _


	59. Survival of The Fittest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The End of Dick Roman and the beginning of a new trial: Purgatory.

"To kill a Leviathan, you need a righteous bone bathed in the blood of the fallen, the blood of an alpha, and the leader of fallen humanity." 

Okay, well.. Two of the three had been procured. The third, however, was going to be rather difficult seeing as how Crowley had become rather _allusive. _

Dean and Sam pulled off of the exit and rolled to a stop in the parking lot of the church that held the bones of several righteous nuns who'd been buried in the nunnery crypt. After carefully searching through the book that the church had provided of the deceased, they decided on the bones of _Sister Mary Constant_. 

They returned to Rufus' cabin with the ingredients for their spell and made an attempt to summon Crowley. He didn't come. That should'e come as no surprise, but Dean seemed rather certain that he was purposefully avoiding them.

Then a knock sounded at the door. 

"Maybe it's good news?" 

Sam peered through the cracks in the door and snorted quietly to himself as he opened it and watched the Nephilim burst through. "Look, you two as my witness-" Cleopatra cut her thought short and jabbed a thumb back out the door. "I _cannot _take much more of this." 

"You might want to be more specific." Dean mused. "Isn't this the same guy you're supposed to marry?" 

"Well, I'd _happily _marry him if he hadn't showed up halfway across the world, thrown honey on me and then called me _the sweetest thing he ever tasted _before dragging me back here, I would marry him in a heartbeat!" She snapped. 

"Why?" 

"Go ask him, he was _your _boyfriend first." Which wasn't true, but Cleopatra wasn't in the mood to debate. Dean narrowed his eyes and brushed past her to walk out the door and towards the car where Castiel was sitting in the passengers seat. The Nephilim tilted her head and brushed a stray hair out of her eyes as she met Sam's gaze. Then they both grinned at each other. "_Sammy." _

Laughter echoed in the cabin as she raced across the cabin floor and leapt into his arms. 

Yep. He still felt like home. 

*** 

"I hope you understand that I don't participate in aggressive activity." Castiel said as he moved across the room to study the bone they'd procured at the crypt. "Mm. Sister Mary Constant. A good choice!" 

"Why did you go back to Cleopatra, Cas?" Dean asked. 

The Seraphim peered at his soulmate who was sitting beside Sam on the sofa, head tilted back as he slowly began reweaving her hair into its usual braid. Her lips were quirked upward in a smile that was so _soft _and _content _that the sight made his vessels heart stutter. "When I left, I wanted to observe the flowers. And fruit.. but flowers come first, obviously. I heard nothing from them." 

Sam looked up from where his fingers were tangled in Cleopatra's hair. "You heard nothing from who?" 

"The garrison." 

"What happened to the garrison?" 

Castiel descended the steps. "Finally the silence was deafening, so I went to look." He continued. "At the home of the prophet. You know Leviathan can kill angels. It's a reason why my father locked them in purgatory. They're the piranha that would eat the entire aquarium. They're gone." Silence fell upon the four of them. "The entire garrison is dead. If there's anyone left at all, they're in hiding." 

Sam tied off the end of her hair. "Uhm, I'm sorry." Dean replied. "If the angels are dead, then where's Kevin?" 

"I could steal them from their cages, the monkeys.. but where would I put them all?" 

Cleopatra snapped her fingers _hard _as she came to stand in front of Castiel, putting herself between him and Dean. "Hey," She murmured lowly. "_Eyes._" It was almost as if she'd commanded him to look at her. His eyes flickered to meet her own without so much as a pause. "Focus for me, _please." _

He nodded. 

Dean's voice hardened as it often did when he was frustrated. "Is Kevin alive?" 

"_I don't want to fight." _

The pacifism was getting old. Despite that, watching his head dip to his chest and his body curl in on itself made something bloom in her chest, and Cleopatra reached outward to take his hand in her own. "I'm not-" Dean started. "We're worried." 

"They took him." Castiel replied. "He's alive." 

"Woah-Hold on a freaking minute-" 

"I felt such responsibility but it's in your hands now," Castiel breathed a sigh of relief until he felt fingers slip out of his. That was when the impenetrable shields came flying back into place. "I feel better." 

Meg's eyes shifted across the room to where the concoction of ingredients that had been mixed for the summoning was still sitting. "Guys," Meg interjected. "What is all that?" 

"We called Crowley." Sam replied. 

"You _what?" _

"Don't worry," Dean said. "He never showed." 

"What do you mean never-" 

"He stood us up."

"Well," Meg swallowed the knot in her throat. "Sorry about that, but I'm outie. He could still-" 

"_Show up at any time." _A deep baritone voice practically announced as it sounded from the corner of the room. Five pairs of eyes all whipped around to gaze upon the current King of Hell who was standing inside of sigil they'd made during the summoning. "Hello boys. Sorry I'm late, this is an embarrassment of riches." 

"Nah, I'm good. Anyone want something to drink?" Cleopatra flashed Crowley two fingers before she heard _whiskey _and disappeared with a snap of her fingers. 

"Stay, why don't you? There's really nowhere to run." Dark eyes flickered across the room and moved in front of the door as Meg attempted to make a break for it. "Don't even think of smoking out, pussycat." Crowley shoved a finger in Meg's face. "I've got eyes all over the place." 

Cleopatra chose that moment to reappear with two small bottles of whiskey, one of which she handed over to Dean before taking a seat behind Castiel on the stairs. 

"You leave her be." 

Crowley turned his head towards the Seraph. "Castiel," He began. "When we last spoke, you.. well.. _enslaved _me. I'm confused. Why aren't you dead?" 

"I.. I don't know." 

"Well do you want to be? Because I can _help _with that-" 

Gold eyes flashed menacingly. "Try it." Cleopatra taunted. "Try it and see how long it takes to dismember a demon without even lifting a finger." 

"_Enough!" _Dean snapped. 

"It's enough when I say." Crowley retorted. "I came here to help you only to find out that you've been lying to me, harboring an angel! And not just any angel, but the one angel I most want to crush between my teeth!" 

"Yawn, you _bore _me." Cleopatra rolled her eyes and rolled her arms behind her to loosen the muscles in her neck and shoulders. "All I hear is _complain complain complain you betrayed me wah _coming from your mouth. He's not _Godstiel _anymore, mkay? This is Castiel." Crowleys eyes narrowed as he watched her peer up at the Seraph through soft blue eyes before taking his hand again. "_Not _God. Just Cas." 

"Oh. So you can crush angels now?" Meg asked. 

"You bore me. You know that? You have _no _sense of poetry." Crowley muttered. He turned his attention back to Castiel. "Now, _darling, _what do you have to say for yourself?" 

_It's okay. _Castiel's body language softened as her voice sounded clearly in his mind. _It's okay. _"Well, I'm still, uh.. honing my communication strategy. I haven't even been back to Heaven. I keep thinking there's no insects up there, but here we have _trillions._" Confusion flickered across the demon's face as he looked to Cleopatra, very clearly asking something along the lines of _What on Gods Earth is wrong with your angel? _"They're making honey and silk. Miracles, really." 

"What are you talking about?" 

"Um.. preferring insects to angels, I guess. Here." He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a bag of honey. "A token I collected myself. A bag of honey." Crowley's brow shot upward as he extended his hand. He was clearly skeptical about the entire situation. 

"You're off your rocker! He's off his rocker, is that it?" 

"Look," Dean interrupted as Crowley bent over the table to pick up the whiskey, wrinkling his nose in distaste. "Did you come here to roll out your donkey punches or help us end Dick? Pick a battle." 

"Well, I'm vexed." He confessed. "I'd _like _to do both, but where's the fun in clobbering a ball of wet fur? Text me whenever _Sparkles _here retrieves his marbles or his girl does it for him, whichever. Meanwhile.." Cleopatra's eyes widened as Crowley reached into the breast pocket of his coat and produced a vial of blood. "A prezzie." 

"Really?" Sam's voice spoke up for the first time since he'd entered the room. "Just boxed up and ready to go?" 

"I'm a model of efficiency." 

Cleopatra clucked her tongue. "Um.. yeah, no." She replied. "That's like the worst descriptor of you I've ever heard. If that's _true.. _tell us why you were late." 

The words rolled off of his tongue far too easily. "Dick had me in a Devil Trap. He's not an idiot. He knows what you three are after." 

"So what did he offer you?" Cleo asked. 

"A fair deal, sweetheart." Dark eyes turned to meet her own. "In exchange for giving your _humans _the wrong blood. It's demon.. but is it mine?" He shook the vial. "It's _my _blood. Real deal." Eyes locked with his, Cleopatra stepped between Sam and Dean and crossed her arms over her chest. The sight made Castiel beam with pride. She was _so _protective over the humans in their charge. 

"And why should we trust you?" Dean asked. 

"Good god, _don't_." Crowley snapped. "Never trust anyone. That's a little lesson I learned from my last business partner." 

"Alright. Now give us the blood." 

"Certainly! Oh-_bonus_, Meg!" Meg was still leaning against the front door as Crowley turned around to face her. Dread settled low in Cleopatra's stomach. She and the female demon might not have always gotten along, but Meg was smart enough to see the nature of the relationship between her and Castiel and thus was protective over him because of it. "I'm gonna scoop you up, take you home, and roast you until you're jerky.

Meg's eyes met hers. A warning. _Not now. _

"Not yet though. Castiel and Cleopatra can have you for now. Hilariously enough, it seems they'd both be upset at losing you. And the boys need _Cas _to get _Dick. _Don't they?" 

Three pairs of eyes turned to the Seraph in confusion. 

"Oh, I don't fight anymore-" Castiel shook his head repeatedly, clearly not interested in being involved in the solution to their problem. 

"Oh, _come on._" Crowley jeered. "Given the particulars of your enemy, sadly.. You're vital." He tossed the vial in the air to Sam and disappeared without another word. 

***

"I hope this goes over well. We're only gonna get one shot at it." 

"You think Crowley is, uh-" 

"Double crossing us?" 

"You gotta figure who he wants dead more, us or Dick." Sam held the vial between his fingers and waited for Dean to finish mixing the ingredients before he pulled the cork from the top.

"Depends on what Dick offered." Sam said quietly. "Here we go." 

Cleopatra wrapped her arms around Castiel's and scooted closer until their knees were touching, tucking her head into his shoulder as her music played at a low volume in her earbud. He took one of her hands in his own and slowly began tracing the lines of her fingers. 

Then she heard it - the low rumble of Enochian - echoing in her head. _Olani Hoath Ol. _He was growing bolder in saying it now, spoken more confidently and more frequently, but Castiel _still _would not tell her what it meant. 

Cleopatra nuzzled his arm with her cheek and pressed a kiss to his bicep through the fabric of his coat. 

"Boys," She called out softly. The Winchesters turned around and watched as she began wiggling her fingers. "What'll it be?" 

They said the same thing at the same time. 

"_A Sandwich." _

"Really? That's it? Nothing elaborate and fancy, you both just want a sandwich?" The brothers nodded eagerly and gaped as two plates appeared on the floor with a sandwich stacked on each one. Freshly cut lettuce and tomato on wheat bread with ham as the accompanying meat. "Here. You need your strength." 

"Hey Cas," Sam said as he pressed his fingers to the bread to lift it to his mouth. "Why was Crowley so certain that you needed to come with us?" 

"Crowley's _wrong._" Cas replied sharply. "I'll be waiting right here while Cleopatra goes with you, now _please _accept the sandwiches as a gesture of solidarity from both of us." 

*** 

"Tell me again why you turned tail for some maid? You were _right there." _

"Shut up, Meg!" 

Cleopatra groaned and threw herself back into the sofa. "I have not had enough _coffee _for this." She muttered. The Nephilim looked left, and then right, and snapped her fingers to make another cup of steaming coffee appear on the table in front of her. She took a sip and sighed at the taste. It really was the small things. "_Heaven." _

"DIck made more Dicks." Sam said. "He must've kept a chunk of the original Dick Roman somewhere." 

The Nephilim stiffened as she felt _something _press against her mind. It was a sign that she and Meg had discovered they could do the first night in the hospital - pressing on each others mind - to catch the others attention. Blue eyes met brown which immediately flickered back across the room to where Castiel was _desperately _trying to hide the fact he clearly knew more then he let on. 

Dean noticed first. 

"Hey Shifty, what's your problem?" 

"Do we need a cat?" Cas asked. "Doesn't this place feel one species short?"

The tension grew in the room. "Do you have anything to say on the topic of Dicks? Crowley was pretty sure that you could help." 

Again, Meg pressed. _No. You've done enough for him, it's his turn to defend himself. _She wasn't wrong, but that wouldn't stop the _urge _to lash out and protect the angel who'd fallen from Heaven and been abandoned for the sake of a couple of humans. 

"I can't help!" Cas exclaimed. "Don't you understand? Okay, I _can't. _I destroyed everything and I will destroy everything again. Can we just leave it at that?" 

The minute her mouth poised to say _yes, _Dean chose the opposite direction. "No." He replied. "No, we can't-" 

"_Dean-" _

"We can't leave it! You let these freaking things in." Cleopatra stiffened as her stomach dropped, and her eyes screwed tightly shut as _if _that would help drown out the _anger _behind Dean's words. "So you don't get to make a sandwich, you don't get a cat. You don't get your _soulmate _defending you every three seconds. Nobody cares that you're broken, Cas!"

The mug in her hand slipped from her grasps. 

"_Clean up your mess!" _

Both the Nephilim and the Seraph disappeared and met outside the house. Cleopatra felt her blood turn to ice in her veins as she braced herself against her knees, breathing heavily, unable to meet his eyes for fear she'd see that familiar _hurt _lingering in them. 

"Flower." Gentle hands wrapped around her shoulders and uncurled her body until she was standing upright with her expression hidden by a mass of black hair. "_Cleopatra_, please look at me." Her bottom lip quivered as she looked up to meet his eyes - eyes so _wide _and _sad _and _deep _\- eyes that she loved that belonged to a person she could not heal. "You do not need to defend me against the boys. I am perfectly capable." 

"But I _do." _She cried. "I do need to defend you because _not enough people _have done it! You've been abandoned and cast aside because you fell in love with some humans, you-" _Fell in love with me. _"And now you're being ridiculed and judged by the humans who're supposed to love you because you don't want to fight?" Her fingers dug into the lapels of his trench coat as she rested her forehead against his own. "Castiel, _Angel... _Let someone fight for you, for once. Let _me _do what everyone else wouldn't." 

***

"Cas, I need a wingman." 

_"Dean-" _

"You don't want to jump into the jaws of death?" Dean said pointedly as he stared at the Seraph. "That's fine. How about we run a little errand?" 

Castiel peered down into his lap where Cleopatra's head lay, his fingers gently carding through her hair. "Okay." He replied quietly. "Let me carry her to the sofa first. She will need her strength for what is to come." Dean watched as he hooked his arms under her legs and slowly crossed the room to the open couch, cradling her head in his hand as he slowly laid it on the pillow. He didn't really _think _about how gentle such a _strong _creature of divine wrath could be, but then again... this was the same angel who'd fallen from Heaven for _him _and _her. _

_***_

_Quick and quiet. Keep close. _

After feigning deep sleep as to evade Castiel and his ever-persistent nature of being curious, Cleopatra had disappeared in search of Zion. She'd found him in his self defense class - which was no surprise - and greeted him warmly before asking for her weapon in which she'd given away before her time at his cabin. 

He gave it back with no hesitation. 

"_I hope you know what you're doing." _

Hand wrapped around the hilt of her angel blade, Cleo quietly followed on Dean and Castiel's heels through the SucroCorp complex in search of Dick Roman. 

They found him in his lab. 

"Little abrupt, but okay." Dark, confident eyes swept between her, Dean, and Castiel. "Castiel, good to see you again! Thanks for the ride into paradise." Dick watched as Dean slid his machete back into his coat and removed the sanctified bone. "And _good _on you! Pulling that together? A plus." 

"What," Dean taunted. "You don't think this is going to work, do you? You _trust _that demon?" 

"You sure I'm even me, Dean?" Dick asked. 

"No." Cleopatra interjected. Dick peered over Dean's shoulder at the Nephilim who stood tall and _terrifying _in front of her angel, gold eyes blown wide and hand tightly wrapped around her angel blade despite the fact it would do nothing against a Leviathan. "But he is." 

"See, here's the thing with dealing with Crowley. He will _always _find a way to bone you."

"This meeting is over." 

Dick lunged forward and gripped the lapels of Castiel's coat as he threw him across the room with little effort. He turned around to do the same thing to the Nephilim but moved too slowly to evade the bone that Dean pierced through his abdomen. 

Bright gold eyes met his own, and Dick gasped sharply as he felt the constricting power of angelic grace begin pressing against his windpipe. 

"I-" A trickle of blood slid down her nose as Cleopatra curled her fists. "I-_got him-_" 

Dick grimaced as he slowly removed the bone from his abdomen and snapped it in half. She'd given him credit. He was stronger then she anticipated. 

"Did you _really _think you could trump me?" 

"Honestly? No." Cleopatra released the Leviathan just as Castiel wrenched his head backward and Dean plunged the _real _bone into the side of his neck. "I figured we'd have to catch you off guard." 

Sam and Kevin burst into the lab just as a strange pulsing energy began flooding through the room, and Dick flashed the trio a wicked smile before the room was covered in the obsidian blood of the Leviathan. 

When Sam opened his eyes, they were gone. 

_All of them. _


	60. After

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dean and Cleopatra return from Purgatory.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Honestly, this might be a little bit messy. I've put this off for SO LONG because S15 killed my love for Supernatural, but I've gotten alot of feedback from people that just motivated me SO much to finish this chapter. Hopefully I can get back into the groove of writing for these two again. I hope you like it!

''_Run Flower, for I am your angel.. I am not far behind you." _

_Her feet pounded against the Earth and her hands ached with the way they'd been curled around her blade, but Cleopatra Carter has learned what running really feels like. It's being winded and dazed and absolutely petrified that if you don't keep running, you don't survive. _

_Her only comfort at night was the sound of Castiel's voice though their bond. _

_ "Where are you, angel?" _

_"Not far from you." They'd learned quickly that the way to tell how close they were was by how much static they experienced. It didn't usually happen on Earth seeing as how they were always together, but even if they couldn't talk to each other, they could still feel. "Rest. I will wake you once morning comes."_

_Again he whispered his favorite secret, "Olani Hoath Ol." before sleep overtook her in the tallest branches of the tree she'd chosen to occupy for the night. _

_She usually slept with one eye open. Wasn't it always the way? _

_Days began to blur together once Cleo lost track of how many they'd been there. After constantly having to be on the move in order to ensure survival.. that was a given. Dean wasn't around. He'd gone off and befriended some vampire just mere days after they'd arrived. _

_They couldn't risk being seen together. None of them. Not with two heavenly bodies occupying Purgatory with a giant **come find me **sign on their backs. _

_Just because she was solely set on survival didn't mean she forgot. It doesn't mean a Nephilim, one you hold most dear, forgot where she came from. _

_Or who she loves. _

*** 

_It didn't take long for her to miss Castiel. Miss his presence at her side, miss the way he protected her and she looked out for him and the way he never failed to make her feel safe. _

_Safety was a facade for the delusional in a place like this. _

_The first injury she'd sustained was a Leviathan who had caught her off her guard and dug his blade deep into her arm, which should've been easily healed given the nature of her abilities but the things could practically smell an angel nearby. _

_Cleopatra screamed loud and raw and bloody, and Castiel heard her. _

_He did not come to her aid. Dean did. Covered head to toe in dirt and grime and blood, the elder Winchester's eyes widened as he peered down at his best friend with his blade still in the air. She usually would've been too petrified to move had it not been for the crippling pain in her arm. _

_"Ah, that's gonna leave a sexy scar." Dean knelt and lifted his hand to halt the words of his companion who was still just out of eyeshot. "Hello 'Patra. It's been a while. Can you heal yourself just enough for me to pick you up?" _

_Scarlet trickled through her fingers as she tried to stop the bleeding. _

_"They'll-They'll find us-" She breathed. _

_Dean shook his head and turned to acknowledge the man behind him. "Let them." He replied. "Cleo, this is Benny. He's been my sidekick since I got here. He's got some skills, let me tell you. We'll keep you safe." _

_Listen to him, Flower. Castiel's voice was there, whispering in her ear, but he sounded so far away-_

_"Cas-" Cleopatra whined. "It-It hurts-" _

_Dean and Benny will protect you. Listen to him. _

_Blue flickered upward to meet green. Despite their circumstances, despite what they had both endured since being in here, there was so much trust in those green eyes. Eyes that belonged to somebody who would've moved Heaven and Hell to ensure she got back to Castiel. _

_"I trust you, Winchester." Blue shifted into molten gold and Dean watched in utter awe as light shined from her palm. "Don't betray it." _

_"Not in your wildest dreams." _

***

_"_Woah, wait. You both were in Purgatory? How did you get out?" 

They looked at one another. Cleopatra had not said a word since they'd figured out they were back on Earth. "I guess whatever put us in that box didn't want to be there any longer then we did." Dean replied. 

"What does that even _mean?_" 

"I'm here." Dean said sharply, indicating he wasn't going to talk about it any further. "Okay?" 

"What about Cas? Was he there?" 

Cleopatra sucked in a sharp breath as blue eyes flashed before her. That image was going to haunt her until something took her away. She didn't care what it was at this point. As long as it got her back with Castiel, whatever wanted to kill her could have her. 

She was tired of being left alone. 

Sam could tell by the way his brother and sister both reacted that whatever had happened to Castiel was traumatic enough for them both to just _turn off _at the very mention of his name. "Yeah, uh.. Cas didn't make it." Dean replied. 

_Olani Hoath Ol. _

"What exactly does that mean?" Sam asked. 

"Something happened to him down there. Things got pretty hairy towards the end and he just... let go." 

_She had him. She had him and then he said those damned words and she finally understood why he'd kept it as some precious secret since the beginning. He'd let go.. and he'd taken her will to live with him. _

"So Cas is dead. You saw him die? Both of you?" 

Cleopatra shook her head. "If he was dead, I'd have felt it." She whispered. Sam's eyes softened as he crossed the room with the intention to envelop her in his embrace - something she would've gladly welcome before going to Purgatory - but he was stopped by the absent flick of her wrist. "Not now Sam. _Please. _I need air." 

She was gone before either brother could argue. 

"Right. Dean, I'm sorry." 

"Me too." His eyes traveled towards the front door where they could both see Cleopatra lounging on the top of the Impala wrapped up in the trench-coat she'd hidden in the trunk that had been given to her by Jimmy Novak. "For both of us." 

***

"I had no one. No one. For the first time in my life, I was completely alone. I didn't exactly have a road map so I fixed up the Impala and just drove." 

"After you looked for me. Did you look for me, Sam?" 

In the midst of Sam and Dean having their falling out, Cleopatra sat nestled in the back seat of the Impala and prayed. She didn't know if God was around. Much less if he was still listening, but she needed to _vent _and no one around her seemed like the right person to listen. Dean was full of fire, Sam was full of guilt. 

And Cleopatra was full of dreams. 

***

They eventually approached her - almost as if she was a fragile little girl made of glass - and said that they were going to go looking for Kevin Tran, who had been missing for over a year after he'd escaped from Crowley's clutches. They traveled in near silence to his hometown in Michigan, and Dean kept close to her as they entered their motel room. 

It was what they'd done since the day he'd found her in the forest. 

They were eventually led to Kevin, who proceeded to tell them about the demon tablet that Crowley had shown him when he'd been imprisoned. It supposedly held all of the _need to know _information about the demonic that had been collected since, well... the beginning of time. 

And then he told them about closing the gates of hell. For good. 

''Come again?" Dean asked. 

"Banishing all demons off of the face of the Earth and to hell, forever. Sound good?" 

Cleopatra lifted her eyes for the first time during the entire conversation and nodded. "We'll do it. Whatever it takes." Both brothers whipped around seeing as how they hadn't actually been given the details on what it _did _take, and the way she was talking sounded rather.. unusual. Like she was willing to risk her own life. Even if it meant death. "We _owe _it to Castiel, Dean! We _owe _him!" 

Sam, as usual, wasn't having it. He seemed more unsure of himself and his decisions then he had been in the entire time Cleopatra had known him. 

It wasn't until later on that night that she allowed herself to become unhinged. Kevin had hidden himself away within the confines of the church after his conversation with Sam, and Cleopatra had been the one to notice the demonic presence before the other three men did. 

"Dean Winchester. Cleopatra Carter." The demon on the right snarled as they simultaneously removed their blades from their sleeves. Sam shivered as a frigid wind blew through the air, and it wasn't until he squinted into the darkness that he realized that frigid wind that made him want to recoil in _fear _was the thrum of Cleopatra's wings. "Back from Purgatory, I see." 

"Ah, Thing One and Thing Two with deplorable style." She side eyed Dean and grimaced. "It's a shame I'm about to ruin it further. Do you like my knife?" Sam watched in awe as she flipped the angel blade with ease and wrapped her hand around the hilt with the blade angled diagonally. "I think it'd look better impaled in your torso." 

There was definitely a finesse that Cleopatra had picked up while in Purgatory. She was more lethal, using her size as an advantage to leap and slip underneath open areas. Her accuracy was sharper. Her eyes were harder. 

Purgatory had not been kind to the Nephilim. 

"Hello boys." Crowley's voice crooned as she thrust her blade into the demons chest and stood to her feet, chest heaving, to lock eyes with the King of Hell. "Dean, Poppet. You're looking rather well. My son sends his regards." He peered around the four of them and frowned. "Where's her angel?" 

"Ask your mother." Dean snapped. 

"There's that grade school zip," Crowley said. "Missed it, I really did. Moose over here with the pork chops. I admire that. And as for you.." He tilted his head toward the Nephilim and pursed his lips. "You are not the same Cleopatra I saw before Purgatory. You're.." 

"Beautiful? Cool. I could use a compliment every so often." 

"Sure, let's go with that-" He muttered. "But you're _harder_. Colder. It makes you look more fierce." Crowley eyed her up and down before smiling wryly. "Heaven's abomination is the epitome of ethereal divinity. How ironic." 

"Let Channing go." 

"That's not Channing." Dean said. "Not anymore." 

"What an awful thing to say to the boy," Crowley remarked. "Of course this is Channing. Kev... last time we danced, you stole my tablet and killed my men. Tell you what, come with me now... bygones. And I'll let the girl go back to What's-The-Point- U." 

"He's lying." Kevin frowned as he eyed Cleopatra from the corner of his eye. "You're not going to get Channing back, Kevin. He's probably killed her already." 

Well. That was rather blunt. "Will you _please _stop saying that?" Crowley asked. "Let the girl speak." He extended his hand to Channing and snapped his fingers, returning the young woman to normal form. 

Her face lit up. The sight made something stir low within Cleopatra. Something familiar. 

"Kevin?" 

"Channing!" 

"There's a demon in you and you're going to your safety school." 

Dean dragged his palm across his forehead. _Well. _

"What?!" Channing exclaimed. 

"It's going to be okay-" 

Crowley shook his head. He clearly was not amused by the whole _star crossed _shtick. "I just-I can't-" He began, cutting his sentence off promptly to snap his fingers and allow the demon to manifest itself in Channing's body. 

"Okay. I'll do it." 

Kevin stiffened as a cold, steel grip enveloped his wrist. "_Kevin-_" Cleopatra and Sam warned. 

"Myself for the girl." He demanded. "But this ends, alright? No fighting, no nothing. It _ends." _

Nothing ever ends. If it does, it ends _bloody. _Bloody and brutal and hopeless. Just as it had been when-

"Can't let you do that, buddy." Dean interjected. 

"Or what?" Kevin challenged. "You'll kill me?" He carefully eyed the trio to his right and acknowledged Crowley. "I'll grab my things." 

Crowley beamed proudly as he watched Kevin walk past the Winchester brothers to collect his belongings. "Cheer up boys." He mused. "I'm a professional." 

"This isn't over, Crowley. Not by a long shot." 

"Really Dean, who writes your stuff? A marshmallow?" He sidled up to Cleopatra and smirked. "I'm more afraid of your big bad Nephilim then I am of you, Dean. She's the only one with any of the real muscle here, and even then.." He motioned to where Kevin had went with a flick of his gaze. "I have all the power." 

He swept past them with Channing on his heels to collect the Prophet and was met with a _giant _vat of holy water. 

"_Sam, Dean, Cleo.. RUN!" _

Cleopatra grabbed the brothers hands and took off through the front door of the church. Castiel or no, they were still in her charge. Kevin followed suit shortly and the four of them threw themselves into the Impala just fast enough for Dean to rev the engine and peel away from the church driveway. 

Kevin's shoulders sagged in defeat as he watched Crowley snap his fingers and thus snap Channing's neck. 

"I'm sorry Kevin." She murmured quietly to the younger man as he turned away from the window. "I know how you feel." 

_Olani Hoath Ol. _

Kevin peered down at the tendrils of golden light that swirled around clenched fists. Cleopatra grit her teeth so hard behind closed lips that her ears began ringing, and those _damned blue eyes _flashed in her memory again before she allowed herself to succumb to the exhaustion settling itself deep in her bones. 

_We both did. _

*** 

"Look, I'm sorry about your girlfriend, but the sooner you get this, the better. You're it in now, like it or not." Dean snapped. Cleopatra and Kevin both looked up at the elder Winchester with vacant gazes. 

"Do you know how it feels to be in love, Dean?" Cleopatra asked. "Do you know how it feels to know that the _angel _who was set aside to _love _you let you leave him behind in a place full of things that could tear him apart without trying, and his last words to you are the very words you've hesitated in saying since the day you met? Do you know how it feels to _die _while you live?" 

Dean stiffened as he remembered those last moments before dragging her through that portal at the silent request of Castiel's pleading eyes. _Save her. Not me. _

"We do what we gotta do, even when they're gone." He snapped. "I'm hitting the head." 

Cleopatra rolled her eyes so hard Sam swore he could see the whites of her eyes. "Yeah, I forgot." She muttered to herself. "Dean Winchester wouldn't know love if it hit him right between the eyes." 


	61. What's Up Tiger Mommy?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A prophet makes a reappearance and more is revealed about Purgatory.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Honestly? I'm not sure if anyone is reading this actively, but let me tell you.. I definitely appreciate the kudos. And the 150 chapters thing? Just a preset. It's gonna be longer then that. I was just tired of seeing that ? everywhere I go!

"Dude, you are so... _ugh.. _infuriating!" 

Dean, Cleopatra, Kevin and Sam sat huddled around a table at the outdoor diner they'd decided to stop by for lunch. Cleopatra had done a sufficient job in keeping Dean occupied from the very obvious question that Kevin was going to ask, and she almost wish he hadn't. 

"You-" He spluttered from behind the burger occupying the majority of his mouth. "You're kidding me, right? You're kidding me?" 

"What?" Kevin snapped. "Is it really too much to ask if we could swing by and check on my mom? You'd do it for Cleopatra!" 

Cleopatra narrowed her eyes at the Prophet. He had a point - Sam and Dean would always have a soft spot for their Nephilim - but her mother was an asset, someone they utilized for cases when the need rose for it. Speaking of.. she should probably _call_-

"Swing by?! It's a day's drive in the opposite direction, you do know that right?" 

"Yes-I understand that we're in a hurry-" 

"Okay, then what's the problem?" 

Cleopatra slammed her hands so hard against the table that everything on top of it shook and Sam had to intertwine his fingers with hers beneath the table to calm her down. "Why is it so _hard _for you to have some compassion, Winchester?" She snapped. "My mother is alive, _his _mother is alive-And with the type of life we live, who knows how long that's going to last! Get over your ego and just.. _oblige him._" Her shoulders sank in defeat. Dean knew she'd been having a hard time adjusting without Castiel's presence always being around her. "Please." 

Usually he would've given into her. He always did. It seemed this time was the first he wouldn't. 

"She has a point, Dean." Sam commented as he ran his thumb back and forth over her knuckles. 

"Stay out of this." Dean remarked as he leaned over the table to meet Kevin's eyes. "Kevin, your mom is fine. Cleopatra, _your _mom is fine. She married an angel and had two kids that were _literally _abominations in the eyes of Heaven. You lived." _Reagan didn't. _"Your mom is fine because Crowley _needs _her to be. Okay? He's probably got the place stacked with bodyguards right now protecting her so when you do show up, they'll pounce on you both." 

"Hey Dean-" He turned his head toward her as she flicked her middle finger upward. "Screw you." 

"I love you too, princess." He retorted. "But she's bait, plain and simple, and now you want to swing right up and bite the hook?" Dean winced as he felt something snap _hard _against his mind and sharply turned his head to find bright gold eyes staring back at him. _He's a child, Dean. _

_Yeah, and? _"Look. We've got Crowley by the short and curlies. All we need to do is find the tablet, whip up the spell, and boom. Sunshine and sandy beaches." 

Kevin flexed his jaw and turned his attention to the other two beside him who had yet to say a word. "Dean." He said. "My mom is alone. She's surrounded by demons. Can you really not understand why I want to make sure she's okay?" 

Dean grimaced as Cleopatra smiled at him smugly. _As I said, he's a child. _She remarked. _Oblige. _

"Fine! Fine. Let's go." 

***

"I'll stay in the car. You two, do whatever it is you need to do." Cleopatra said as she waved a dismissive hand while rummaging through her bag beneath the seat. Dean and Sam muttered underneath their breath as they and Kevin left the Impala to retrieve his mother from inside. It didn't help that there was an entourage of demons surrounding the house. "Ah, peace and quiet." 

The demons outside paid her no mind. It was almost as if they didn't _see _her. 

For a moment, there was peace.. and then she heard it. She heard his _voice. _

_"_Flower." Barely there, the ghost of a whisper that floated right into the spot where he'd used to occupy his mental presence inside her head. Cleopatra had been dealing with nightmares about what had happened before she'd gotten ejected from Purgatory for _days, _confining her screams to mere whimpers and hiding it from both of the brothers. So far they're remained obvious. "_Flower." _

"Castiel." She whispered in reply, drawing her knees to her chest and settling her chin on top of them. "_Angel, _please.. please stop haunting me." Cleopatra winced _hard _when someone's hand touched the top of her knee, and the flash of blue dissipated into concerned hazel as she opened her eyes and found herself staring back at Sam. 

Castiel's voice disappeared. 

"Are you alright?" He asked lowly, careful not to alert Dean or Kevin. Cleopatra leaned her head into his hand that came to rest against her cheek and met his eyes. He was the one who _got _not being alright. He was the one who knew what it was like to _lose _the love of your life. 

"Yeah." _No. I'm not. _"I'm okay." _But I have to be. _

Sam nodded solemnly and climbed into the front seat beside his brother as Kevin and Mrs. Tran filled in to her right. 

*** 

The best part about this excursion thus far was watching Kevin and Linda - who had been adamant she called her Linda - get their anti-possession tattoos before they went searching for the tablet. 

Cleopatra peered down at the two tattoos that occupied her forearms. Castiel's name in immaculate Enochian on one, and the anti-possession tattoo the brothers had forced her to get on the other. She liked them. Tattoos suited her. But Kevin.. poor Kevin. 

"Get a load of him. How much you wanna bet he passes out?" Dean mused as he lightly bumped her hip with his own. "And her! _Legendary. _She's totally unfazed! This is the smell of revenge and it is _so _close." He paused and stuck his hands into the pockets of his coat. "How did you do that reverse exorcism thing?" 

Cleopatra's brow shot up so high it nearly disappeared into her hair. "You did _what?!" _She exclaimed. "You-I-_Sam.. _that just made your sex appeal go _sky _high-" 

Sam slammed his hand over her mouth as Dean fought fits of laughter. "Not from you." He muttered. "Gods, _anyone _but you-You're practically my sister! And I just said the verse backwards. It's not like it's _hard._" 

"Oh yes, speaking perfect Latin _backwards _isn't hard. No wonder you went to Stanford." She retorted. 

The five of them traveled to Laramie, Wyoming where Kevin had claimed to stash the tablet inside of a bus locker within a diaper bag. Or at least.. where they thought he'd stashed the tablet. It turned out to be missing from its hiding place, which made them all antsy. 

Cleopatra stood vigil over the Trans as Dean and Sam donned their FBI suits and began interrogating the cops who were on the scene, and eventually coaxed her into following them to the station where the man they'd arraigned earlier that morning was being held. 

While Sam talked to the prisoner, Dean and Cleopatra sank into their memories. 

_Back to back, blade to blade, the Nephilim and the human in her charge peered into the darkness. Purgatory sharpened them. Made them more lethal, more agile, more... feral. Like they could take on the world if that's what was thrown at them. _

_Cleopatra didn't care for this version of her. It reminded her too much of what she'd done in Heaven. _

_"I don't think he knows, man." Benny turned away from their prisoner who was propped up against the bark of the tree nearest to them. Upon seeing his capabilities and his skill, Cleopatra was growing more used to siding with a vampire if it meant they were going to rescue Castiel and leave Purgatory alive. _

"Leniency." 

_"Oh, he knows." Dean turned to her and brushed a lock of hair away from grimy cheeks as she lifted her eyes to meet his. "C'mon. It is your angel we're looking for." Cleopatra followed on his heels as he bent down enough to look the creature in the face. "Where's the angel?" _

_"_So here's what I'm thinking. Full immunity from all charges, both past, present and future." 

Cleopatra flexed her hands and wrung them nervously. She didn't have time to notice Dean moving away from her and towards the other side of the table where the prisoner was sitting across from Sam. She didn't particularly care either. 

She was living somewhere else. Going away inside. It was what she'd gotten good at since- 

"Hey-Hey, _Dean.. _c'mon-" 

Gold tendrils of light emanated from her fingers as she whispered, "_Heartache._" and watched the elder Winchester brother stand tall, sheathing his knife as if he'd been given some type of command. The safe word had been something they'd established in Purgatory when it seemed like the other was becoming too far gone, and so far it had worked. 

So far. As was stated, Dean almost always listens to his best friends girl. 

"_You feel that?" _

_"There's a stream-" He rasped. _

_"Go on." Dean replied. "Keep talking." _

_"It runs through a clearing not far from here. I'll show you." _

_Dean held the tip of the knife to its throat and leaned in more. ''How about you just tell me?" _

"Hey-Dean-_Patra!_" 

Dean still had the prisoner against the wall. 

_"There days journey. Follow the stream and you'll find the clearing. You'll find your angel there." _

_Cleopatra tilted her head and twirled the angel blade between her fingers. It'd been a long time since she'd thought about a shower, or a bed, or home. The muted white noise that was constantly playing in her head where Castiel's voice used to be was her constant companion now. She wasn't sure if he was dead. Or he even was looking for her. _

_But she knew now. _

_"You know what, mutt?" She mused, bending down to meet the creatures gaze. "I believe you." _

_And she shoved her blade up through his chin and into his throat. Dean and Benny didn't blink an eye. _

_This is Cleopatra Carter now. Lovely, lonely, and more lethal then she has ever been in her entire life. There is no Heaven and Hell here in the purity of this world. There is no abomination because everything around her is already one. She can be unhinged here. _

_She can come undone. _

A steel grip enveloped her wrist to drag out out of the cell. "Thank you," Dean said lowly. "For, y'know.. the word." 

"That's why we established it." She replied as Sam led them back out into the Impala. They hadn't had _time _to process what they'd been through in Purgatory, much less what happened on the way out. They probably wouldn't have time to talk about it or the ability to tell Sam. Maybe it was better that way. "For when one of us is too far gone." 

"You've always saved me when I was teetering on the deep end." He lightly nudged her hip with his own as she opened the back door. "I'm grateful to be one of the humans in your charge." 

Cleopatra smiled at him as they rejoined Kevin and Linda. 

*** 

This was getting exhausting. 

"Are you sure this is it?" Sam asked. Dean held up the slip of paper they'd obtained from the pawn shop. 

"It's what it says on the paper!" 

"_Kevin." _Blue flashed to gold in alarm as Cleopatra whipped around and found herself face to face with somebody she'd never seen before. He was dressed impeccably for somebody who looked very _human. _"Oh relax, Cleopatra. I'm not going to steal your prophet. Mm.." He turned his attention to Linda and smiled. "And you must be Kevin's mother. Beau. It is my _absolute _pleasure." He bent down low to kiss her hand. "And uh... _Kevin, _imagine my luck! Here I was working so hard looking for you that I never stopped to think you might be looking for me! I have something for you." 

"What is it?" 

"An invitation to a very exclusive auction." 

"Let me guess," Cleopatra interjected. "I assume you'll be planning on _selling _the tablet there?"

"When we acquire an item as hot as the word of God, it's smart to unload it as fast as possible." Beau replied. "And we are in such desperate need of a headliner for tonight's gala. Although.. if Kevin won't come.." Beady eyes turned to Cleopatra who rolled them so hard that Dean swore he saw her sockets. The sight made him snort. "I'm sure I have alot of clients who would _really _appreciate a fully grown Nephilim." 

"I hope you have four extra tickets to your little Ebay party because the prophet _and _the nephilim are both with us." Dean remarked as he threw his arm in front of her and slowly ushered her towards Sam. 

"Oh, well.. If you're worried about the safety of the prophet, rest assured that we have a strict no-casting, no-cursing, no ''supernaturally flicking the two of you against the wall for the fun of it'' policy."

"Is that right?" Sam asked. "How'd you manage that?" 

"I am the right hand of a god, after all." Beau said. "Plutus, specifically." 

Cleopatra could _hear _the joke before Dean made it. 

"Is that even a planet anymore?" 

She was so embarrassed by his antics that she facepalmed in front of two hunters, a teenager and his mother _and _the assistant to a _god _before turning away from them to drag her hands over her face and beg God for the patience she needed to keep herself from strangling him. 

"You are _so _embarrassing-" She moaned, turning around to find that Beau had disappeared and left his invitation fluttering on the ground. "Did it work? We're in?" 

"We're in." Sam replied. "What do we have to bid?" 

"Well, normally I'd just throw myself in as a self sacrificial act.. but given how _stupid _you just made yourself sound, I'm gonna go one step higher." Dean gasped as she extended her arms towards the Impala, almost like he'd threatened _and _killed his best friend. 

"How _dare _you-" He snarled. "Say it and I'll kill you, yours and Cas' kids _and _your grandkids-" 

"Okay, _okay _you two-" Sam interjected as he stepped between them. "Stop arguing and think for a minute. These auctions.. they display the items to the bidders beforehand, right?" 

"Yeah, and?" 

"So all we gotta do is get Kevin close enough to memorize the spell!" Sam exclaimed. 

"What do you think, _AP_. You think you can swing it?" Cleopatra swung her head back around to gaze at the teenager as he hesitated in his answer before his mother decided to answer for him. 

"Of course he can swing it." Linda said. "If the bumper stickers on my Previa mean anything." 

***

Had it been anyone else, Cleopatra was sure they'd have bound her in Enochian inscribed handcuffs by now. They'd immediately confiscated all weapons upon arrival to the premises which left her defenseless (minus her flashy angelic abilities) and stuck between an equally perplexed Sam and Dean as Beau moved to the front of the crowd to begin the auction while they took their seats. 

"I hate it here." She whispered. "My mother would've loved this." 

Dean snorted. "Yeah, me too, 'Patra." He whispered in reply. "But now we gotta deal with.. _him." _Two pairs of eyes traveled through the auctioneers until they settled upon Crowley who had revealed himself upon the realization that the people who'd taken the tablet had hid the inscription, thus making their plan moot and virtually impossible. 

"Cleopatra Carter?" 

Cleopatra turned around to face the owner of the unknown voice. He was young - no older then his early twenties - with bright eyes and equally blonde hair. Had she been that age, she would've been extremely attracted to him. She typically went for angels. 

"Do I know you?" She asked. 

"No, but.. uh.. I knew Castiel." Her heart skidded to a stop inside of her sternum, desperately clinging to the rungs of her ribs as if it were eager to hear more about the Seraphim. 

"You're an angel?" 

He shrugged. "This was the nearest vessel, short notice. I don't usually come to things like this but, uh.." 

"Ah." She replied. "You're here for the tablet." 

"We do protect the word of God, after all." He said.

"Well, you're doing a _splendid _job so far-" She crossed her arms over her chest and peered down at his name tag. "Alfie. What kind of a name is that?" 

Little did she know that Cleopatra would grow fond of Heaven's most innocent of angels, and probably the most kind. "Actually, my name is Samandriel." He greeted.

She smiled at him. "Ah.. I've heard that name before. It's beautiful." 

Samandriel nodded in thanks. "I wanted to ask you about Castiel." Samandriel said. "And what happened to him. Either way.." He leaned inward to murmur lowly so only they'd hear. "I know what you did in Heaven. If I were you... I would've done the same. They hate you there. I don't. I admire you." 

Blue eyes flickered to gold as she met his gaze. "Why?" She asked, clearly stupefied by his admiration. "I _slaughtered _alot of your sibling. What would make you revere me after so much bloodshed?" 

Samandriel smiled solemnly as he looked into the gold eyes that pierced his own. It was almost like she saw straight through the vessel and right into the heart of divinity. "You've always been perceptive. Quick witted, good at evading everything that wants to kill you. Hell adores you. Heaven hates you. You, Cleopatra.. you don't care. You have heart, and so did he. I admire that." 

"Thank you. Really. It's nice to hear some words of.. affirmation coming from somebody who should despise me." Cleopatra sighed and rubbed her hands up and down her arms. "Well.. Dean, Castiel and I iced Dick Roman and got a one way ticket to Purgatory for our trouble."

"But-But _you _escaped," Samandriel remarked. "Did Castiel?" She was silent. It had been hard enough learning to let _go _of him, but to relive it... "You know, there are some in Heaven who still believe that despite his mistakes, Castiel's heart was always in the right place." 

_Yeah it was. That's why he's not here. _

_"_Are you one of them?" She asked. 

"I think too much heart was always Castiel's problem." He replied. "And I realized that when he defied his orders from Heaven to let _you _live." 

***

_Castiel bent down to clean his hands of the blood and dirt from the cold water of the stream. She could just barely see him over the ridge and in the valley where he'd been hiding from the three of them for all of this time. _

_"Cas!" _

_The Seraph froze at the sound of his soulmates voice, soon followed by the human in their charge. "Flower?" He whispered to himself. Blue eyes followed the sound of the voice until they came face to face with the person who owned it and softened at the sight of her. "Dean?" _

_Cleopatra wasn't sure if she wanted to hit him or kiss him. He looked terrible, for starters, his usually sharpened features hidden by a thick beard that now covered his jawline and had ascended to his cheekbones. His eyes - once so bright and so alive - were sunken in as if Castiel hadn't bothered to rest since they'd been separated. _

_"Cas." Cleopatra cast her blade aside only for Benny to kneel and retrieve it as she sprinted down the slope and threw herself right into the Seraphim's arms. Under normal circumstances he would've allowed himself to enjoy the moment, to bask in her presence, but they didn't have a moment. They simply didn't have time or the luxury. "Angel," Gentle fingers traced the slope of his cheek as he unlocked his arms and gazed at her. "I missed you. I thought you were-" _

_"Never." He replied and rose a brow before lifting her hand to his lips to kiss her knuckles. _

_"I like the beard." She mused. "It makes you look more distinguished." _

_Benny shouldn't have been so surprised by the reunion. He'd been with Cleopatra and Dean for weeks by that point, but the Nephilim had allowed Purgatory to morph her into something harder, something purer, and it seemed that being around the angel made her soft. More human. _

_He empathized with that. It's what had happened with Andrea._

_"Cas," Dean said as he clasped his best friends shoulder. "I want you to meet somebody. This is Benny." He motioned to the man standing behind Cleopatra with her angel blade loosely hanging from his fingers. "Benny, this is Castiel." _

_Cas didn't seem too concerned about the vampire. _

_"How did you find me?" _

_"The bloody way. The soulmate way. The closer we got to you, the less static she heard. Said you haven't talked since I found her." Dean replied. _

_"Cas," Cleopatra interjected. He peered at her in confusion, unable to mark the last time she'd called him by his name. "Are you feeling okay?" _

_"I'm assuming you're wanting to know if I'm still-" He twirled his finger counter clockwise against his temple. _

_"Yeah." _

_"No, I am perfectly sane." He said. "But then.. 94% of psychotics think they're perfectly sane, so we have to ask ourselves.. what is sane?" _

_"Yeah, good question-" _

_"Why'd you bail on Dean and your girl?" Benny's sharp voice interjected into the conversation, turning three pairs of eyes towards him. Castiel watched through his peripheral vision as his Nephilim extended her hand - calling the blade out of his grasps - and into her own. "The way I've heard it, you three hit Monster Land and hot wings here took off. Figure he owes you both some backstory." _

_"Look, we were surrounded, okay? Some freak jumped Cas and obviously he kicked it-" _

_"No." His voice was so soft that she almost did hear it. _

_"C'mon Angel," She coaxed. "Speak up." _

_"I ran away from both of you." _

_Well, that explained alot. _

_"You ran away?!" Dean snarled. "That's your excuse for leaving me with those gorilla wolves!? God forbid you hadn't run away and I would've never found 'Patra.. why'd you leave her, hm? You bailed out and what.. went camping? I prayed to you, Cas!" The Seraphs face fell as she finally moved her eyes to meet his own. There was so much disappointment lingering in those blues. "Every night!" _

_"I know. I heard you. I heard you both." _

_"You know-You know and you didn't-" Castiel frowned as Dean's spine straightened, having barely heard the whispered word of ''heartache'' that flowed from Cleopatra's mouth and the gold tendrils of light that enveloped the older Winchester in warmth. He'd have to ask about that later. "What is wrong with you?" _

_"I'm an angel in a land of abominations," He informed. "There have been things hunting me from the moment we arrived." _

_"Join the club!" _

_"These are not just monsters." Cas said firmly. "They're Leviathan! I have a price on my head and I've been trying to stay one step ahead of them to keep them away from you. From you both. That's why I ran." _

Too much heart was always Castiel's problem. 

"_It's not your job to protect me in here, Cas." Castiel willingly turned his head as Cleopatra curled her fingers around his chin and brought his gaze to meet hers. "Purgatory has morphed us both into something better. We're faster. Sharper and more lethal then we've been probably in our entire lives. You don't have to do here what you've done on Earth for me since we met in Lawrence. Not anymore." _

_"Please," He begged. "Please, both of you, just leave me." _

_"Sounds like a plan!" Benny exclaimed. "C'mon 'Patra, let's roll." _

_Cleopatra held up her hand to silence Benny and motioned Dean forward. "Cas," Dean said softly. "C'mon.. we're getting out of here. All of us. We're going home." _

_"Dean, I can't-" _

_"You can! Benny, tell him!" _

_Castiel turned to acknowledge the vampire. "Purgatory has an escape hatch but I've got no idea if it's angel friendly-" Benny replied. _

_"We'll figure out." Dean said. "Cas, buddy.. I need you." Castiel paused as he felt fingers lace with his own - an touch that had become unprecedented in recent weeks - before she lightly squeezed his hand. Tendrils of angelic grace sank low into his bones. It was almost as if she was trying to affirm to him that she was here. That Cleopatra was real. "We both do." _

_Castiel tilted his head. Oh.. how he loved humans. "Dean-" _

_"If the Leviathan want to take a shot at us, let them!" He exclaimed. "Cleo and I got good at ganking Levis. We can do it again."_

_"It's too dangerous." _

_"Let me bottom-line it for you." Dean said. "Cleopatra's whole existence has been dangerous. She's used to it. And I think I can speak for the both of us when I say we are not leaving here without you. Understand?" _

His love for his humans had been the driving force into making that split second decision before the portal had closed. 

"_I understand." _

*** 

The auction went... well.. about as well as she expected it to go, anyway. Mrs. Tran used her last resort in the price for Kevin's life: offering her soul for his safety, and it seems to have worked until Crowley decided to take possession of her body after burning away her anti-possession tattoo. 

_"Go after her!" She snapped. "And for the love of God, don't kill Mrs. Tran!" _

Crowley's parting words still rung in her mind as they left the building, just the three of them, without Kevin or his mother in tow. The pair had taken off after Kevin had come to the conclusion he was not needed - because they no longer had the tablet - and his mother's safety was his priority now, seeing as how she had no soul. 

_"Run, and run fast. The Winchesters... well... they have a habit of using people up and watching die bloody." _

_***_

_"Cleo!" _

_"Cas-Just-hang on!" _

_His fingers slipped, and she watched him fall. His eyes hadn't ever seemed so bright. _

_"Cleopatra! I-" _

_And then she woke up in darkness, Dean Winchester by her side. _


	62. Olani Hoath Ol, Castiel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The three words she'd been so desperate to hear, uttered just before she lost him.

The three words she's waited so long to hear, uttered just before she lost him. 

[blood brother and a little slice of kevin] 

***

"_When is that little idiot going to stop running from us?" _

_"I don't know Dean, you did try to kill his mother." _

Cleopatra snorted as she continued writing in the newest entry of her hunting journal. It had been a while since she'd even thought about the book, let alone written in it, until she found it tucked away beneath the back seat of the Impala. It seemed that was where the majority of her belongs stayed nowadays. 

"I was trying to kill _Crowley, _okay?! He just happened to be wearing Kevin's mother, at the time-" 

"That doesn't justify it, Dean." Cleopatra called over her shoulder to the older brother. "Even then, I know why you did it, but newsflash." She lifted her eyes to meet his own. "We're not in Purgatory anymore." 

He didn't answer her because Dean already knew that was true. 

After about thirty more minutes of bickering with his brother, Dean stepped outside to take a phone call - he'd been doing that alot more since they'd returned from Purgatory - and left her inside to keep a watchful eye on Sam. Sam, who was constantly angry, and even moreso when Dean decided he needed to look in on said person on the other side of the phone and refused to tell him who it was. 

She already knew. Benny wasn't accustomed to _life _like this. He would be the only person on the other line. 

Dean knew Cleopatra could read his thoughts. It was something she mostly refused to do since they'd met back at the barn unless their situation called for it, but his mind was _wide _open and begging to be read. 

_Take care of Sammy while I'm gone. _

And so she did, watching the Impala's tires burn against the asphalt as it disappeared from the parking lot. 

*** 

"_I gotta admit, the angel's got his strong points." _

_Cleopatra kept Castiel's pace as they trekked side by side up the incline where Dean and Benny watched as another Purgatory native fell victim to the angelic smiting. _

_"Before we found Cas, you said it was Cleopatra and I's humanity that was drawing too much attention." Dean replied. _

_"Yeah, that too." _

_The Nephilim drew the back of her hand across her face and grimaced as she smeared dirt on her forehead. Castiel peered down at her and used the hem of his sleeve to gently wipe it away, eyes never leaving her own as he did so. Despite the dirt, you're still beautiful. _

_She winked at him, ignorant of Dean's eye roll. Flatterer. _

_"Well, I think we're clear for the moment." Castiel said. "Does present a curious curl in the metaphysics, doesn't it?" _

_Cleopatra shook her head. "That entire sentence just went totally over my head, angel." She mused. _

_"If you murder a monster in monster heaven, where does it go?" _

_"And THIS is the crazy aunt I wanna take on the road?" Benny muttered, to which Cleopatra jabbed sharply him in the ribs. _

_"I am not your aunt." _

_"What? Really?!" _

_"I have no possible relationship to your sibling offspring." _

_Cleopatra and Dean threw their heads back in annoyance before the Nephilim moved in front of him to separate the angel and the vampire. "You two are killing me!" Dean exclaimed. "Can you shut up and get alone for five freakin' minutes without making me feel like I'm losing brain cells?" _

_Castiel turned away from Benny and surveyed the vacant landscape around them. "In this case, I will have to agree with the vampire. Crossing Purgatory with a Nephilim is one thing.. but adding a Seraph? It's less than strategic when we have no reason to believe I can pass through the door you're headed for."_

_Cleopatra set her jaw and tilted her head up to meet his gaze. "You are going through that door with me even if I drag your body through it, Angel." She snapped. _

_"You see, you and the Neph' are intact human beings, even half of one, stuck in Purgatory's craw." Benny said. "This dimension wants to spit you both out which is exactly what's going to power our escape pod. Now I'm pretty sure I can squeeze through too because after all, once you take away the fangs and the fun-" _

_"You're about as fun as watching paint dry, Ben." Cleopatra retorted, arching an eyebrow as the vampire snickered quietly to himself. _

_"Either way, sweetheart, I'm still human. But-" _

_"I don't think it's going to work for me." Castiel admitted. _

_Cleopatra crossed her arms over her chest as Dean turned his gaze back towards the angel, anger flaring in those familiar greens. The three of them had been through alot together. Too much for him to accept Castiel's desire of a death sentence by the hands of Leviathans to leave him suffering in the throes of Purgatory's cold grasps. _

_"Listen to your buddy, Dean-" _

_"Listen to me, you undead blood junkie." Cleopatra snapped. "We are the ones with the mojo, and I'm the one with the plan. Castiel-" She whipped around to face the angel and jabbed a finger into his chest, nostrils flaring and eyes painfully bright. She was angry. Angry that he cared so little for his own life. "We're gonna shove you back through the eye of that needle if it kills all three of us." _

_He didn't answer. He didn't need to, not with the way his voice resounded inside of her head. _

_I will not risk you. Castiel whispered. Not you. Never you. _

_Yeah, well. you might not have a choice. Just me being here, being alive, is a huge risk enough. I will risk everything if it means getting you through that portal to come home with me. She replied. _

_"Obviously I am less then comfortable with that." _

*** 

_ "Oh, don't even start on the value of life," Cleopatra moaned as she wound her arm through Cas' and pulled him nearer to her. "You're a vampire." _

_"Yep." Benny replied. "And I think we both know which of our kind kills more human, Neph." _

_"Well," Cas interjected. "Statistically speaking, that'd be yours-" _

_"Yes! Thank you Cas." _

_"I get it. You're both worried about what I might do when we make it topside. That I'll start eating your little piggies. I already told you man, by the time I got iced I was already strictly on blood transfusions. Donated blood. Not donated to me, I'll give you that, but I paid good black market scratch for it.'' _

_"So what is that, like the vampire zone diet?" _

_Cleopatra hummed beneath her breath as she allowed her fingers to trail against the crook of Cas' elbow, dancing along the fabric of the trench coat until she found his fingers just peeking out beneath the sleeves. The angel sighed in relief when he felt the warmth that often accompanied her grace sink through his skin and low into the bones of his vessel. _

_He'd spent so long being cold that he'd nearly forgotten what warmth - the warmth of her, of heaven, and of home - felt like. _

_"He is going to get us killed!" _

_Both the Nephilim and the Angel lifted their gaze to the skies. They had an acute sense of being able to track the Leviathan whenever they were closing in on them. "We may get to test that theory." Castiel replied, to which Cleopatra released his hand and removed the blade from its place against her other thigh. Benny had been insistent she carry something crudely fashioned that worked against Leviathan. _

_"More monsters?" _

_"Leviathan." _

_"Why don't you both blip out of here-" _

_"They're too close. We can't." Panicked eyes met the eldest Winchesters. "Run!" _

_*** _

Everything just went downhill from there. 

_Lungs heaving from running - keep running, keep running, you stop and you're dead - Cleopatra whipped around and stood beside Dean, blade drawn and gold eyes flaring as the Leviathan drew into its form and emerged from the smoke. "Great." Dean muttered. "This is just how we needed to end-" _

_"Cas!" _

_Dean barely had time to register what was going on before a massive force had him digging his heels into the ground as Cleopatra threw her hands outward, tossing the Leviathan who had nearly swallowed Castiel whole backward and right into Benny's blade. Its head rolled aimlessly in the dirt. _

_***_

Sam forced her into the car before she even had a chance to argue. He'd had a nagging feeling that Cleopatra knew more then she let on, which was what had resorted in the argument that had occurred for almost their entire ride to the address Dean had sent them. 

"You-" Sam white knuckled the steering wheel as he sharply exhaled through his nose. "You are the _one _person who has _never _lied to me. Not with the demon blood, not with me being Soulless... none of it. And now you're lying to-to what-protect _who_?" 

"Sam." Cleopatra said, tone deadly serious. He wasn't sure he could a remember a time he'd heard her speak like this. "If I'm keeping something from you, there's two reasons for it: Either I'm trying to keep _you _safe, or I'm trying to keep the other person safe _from _you." She turned in her seat and pressed her elbow into the fabric, propping her chin in her hand as she looked at him. "You should trust me enough to know which one it is." 

Sam was silent the rest of the way. 

It was a welcome relief to see Benny - who, may I add, _beamed _when he recognized the Nephilim - but with the tension between the two brothers and the _anger _palpable in the air, she didn't dare utter a word. 

***

They were both seeing things now. 

"Dean-_DEAN!_" Cleopatra shrieked, eyes wildly flickering to the side of the road where she _swore _she'd seen Castiel walking alongside the Impala only a moment before. She pressed her hand against the glass just as he put the car into reverse. "Did you-" 

"Yeah, I did." He replied. The thought of suddenly _hallucinating _Castiel rattled them both. She'd only heard his voice, hadn't _seen _him, but.. why were they _both _seeing him now? 

"Hey, you both okay?" Sam asked as they entered Rufus' cabin with the haul they'd obtained from their supply run. "You look- Well, I was going to say you look like you'd seen a ghost, but you'd probably be stoked." 

"Yeah, I'm cool." Dean replied quietly. "What's up?" 

Cleopatra leaned over Sam's shoulder to peer at the screen of his laptop. "Well, this kid went missing from a pre-school. At the same time he vanished, a surprise tornado hit that lasted twenty seconds and then it went back to perfect weather." 

"Hm.. and they pooh-pooh climate change." Dean replied. 

Sam chuckled. "Yeah." He said. "Similar wackiness has happened over the last few weeks in other places too. Tulsa, a bus driver vanishes and a river gets overrun with frogs. New Mexico, a mailman disappears and the earth splits open." 

"Okay, so are you thinking demons?" 

"I mean, yeah. Possibly. This stuff was major, but these people have _nothing _in common! No religious affiliations, different hometowns, all ages. Why would demons wants them?" 

"Why do demons want anything?" 

It took them no time to decide they would be pursuing the case. Cleopatra thought this sounded familiar - too familiar to be demons - and decided that once they were in the Impala she would send Sam's research to her mother to see if she could make any sense of why it rang so familiar in her mind. 

** _mom: what is this for? a case? and it's nice to hear from you, by the way. I thought you were dead. _ **

Oof. Okay. Well, she had her there. 

** _cleopatra: i know i'm a terrible child_ **

** _mom: i didn't say that, sweetheart. what happened? where were you? _ **

** _cleopatra: do you really want to know_ **

** _mom: yes_ **

** _cleopatra: dean, sam, castiel and i took down dick roman_ **

** _mom: i'm sensing the ''and'' here_ **

** _cleopatra: and three of the four got sent to purgatory for a year _ **

There was five straight minutes of no reply. Cleopatra was sure her mother was having a hard time processing that her child had been stuck and literally fought her way out of monster hell to crawl back to the land of the living. 

** _mom: holy cow _ **

** _cleopatra: yeah that's one way to put it. i'm sorry i didn't reach out sooner, we've been busy_ **

** _mom: it's okay. i'm just glad you're safe. did castiel make it out okay? _ **

She stiffened. How was Cleo supposed to explain to her mom what happened? 

** _cleopatra: mom.. _ **

** _mom: sh.. honey. i'm listening. _ **

** _cleopatra: he left himself there. let go of my hand just before we made it topside. he's gone. _ **

_**mom: i'm sorry for your loss, sweetheart**_

** _cleopatra: me too. anyway, can you make any sense of those articles? i'll keep you updated on what we find out. i'll try to do that more often. _ **

** _mom: will do. xx love you_ **

** _cleopatra: love you too _ **

Cleopatra slid her phone into her back pocket and leaned her head against the door, curling her feet beneath her as she did so. 

*** 

The night brought about night terrors for both her _and _Dean. 

"_Sh-_Cleo-" Warm hands enveloped her arms and dragged her from sleep to rest against his chest, shielding his eyes from whatever he'd seen at the window. "He's there-I can _see _him-" 

Cleopatra slowly opened her eyes just as another crack of lighting illuminated the area in front of the window. "He's not real, Dean." She whispered before nuzzling his chest. "He's not here." 

A truth that had taken her a _long _time to recognize. 

Dean locked his arms around her body and stood to his feet, depositing her in the curve of Sam's body before turning his attention back to the window. Cleopatra settled in easily enough. At the stir of his brother, Sam removed his arm from the curve of her waist and turned to face Dean. "Dean?" He asked quietly. "What's going on? Are you alright?" 

"Yeah." He said. "I think I just saw something." 

"Uh.. You saw _what, _exactly?" 

A beat of silence. "Cas."

"You saw Cas?" Sam asked. "Has Cleo been seeing him too? Where'd you see him at?" 

Dean pointed to the window. "Right there." He whispered. "And earlier, on the road. 'Patra had been.. I don't know.. she didn't mention it but she saw him too and I think she might've been _hearing _him and just never brought it up-I feel like I keep seeing him." 

Sam gently shook his head. "That's not possible," He replied. "I mean, you said it yourself. You both made it out and he didn't, right?" 

"I tried _so _hard to get all three of us out of there." His gaze fell on the half-breed fast asleep in his brothers bed. "Not just for me, but for _her. _All she's done is suffered since that barn and I'm so tired of it. You should've seen her in Purgatory, Sam." Dean paused. "I'd never seen her so hard. The world did that to her. Losing _Cas _so many times did that to her, and I thought.. well, if anyone in this world deserved to be happy, it was Cleopatra." 

"I know you tried to get him out, and so does she." 

Anguish contorted Dean's expression. "She tried, she _tried _to pull him out. It was just too much, but _I _could've pulled him out. I just-" He pointed to Sam's bed. "I don't understand why he wouldn't try harder when he has _her!" _

Sam's face softened. "Dean." He said softly. "You did everything you could." 

"Yeah, then why do I feel like crap?" 

"It's probably survivors guilt. And either way, if you let it, this will keep messing with you. You gotta walk past it." Sam bowed his head and lightly clasped his shoulder before turning towards the glass door to leave the motel room. 

Dean continued staring at the woman in the bed. 

*** 

_"We're getting close." _

_"Really? Because I don't see crap. What does this escape hatch look like anyway?" Dean asked. _

_"He doesn't know." Castiel called out. _

_"You just drove me through the fire. Please tell me you know." _

_ "It's here," Benny said. "They promised." _

_"Oh. They? That's comforting." _

_"Well, even if it does exist-" _

_"Broken record, Cas!" _

_Castiel turned towards the human that had been under his charge since he'd raised him from Perdition. He had to get him to listen to reason. "Dean, it's a human portal." He said. "There's no proof that an angel can pass-"_

_"Stow it, Cas. You're coming. That's final." _

_"I'm just saying-" Dean stopped as Castiel gripped his shoulder. Cleopatra was still trekking behind Benny. "If it doesn't work, thank you. For everything. And I have a final request." He nodded towards his soulmate who looked at him and smiled like he was the most beautiful thing she'd seen since they'd been here. "Take care of her." _

_Dean laid his hand over Cas' and nodded. "Always." He replied. "But save the Hallmark, cause I'm getting you and the Nephilim out of here." _

_As Castiel turned to follow them, he knew it then more confidently then he ever had. This was going to be the day he told her. _

_It would either make her or break her. _

*** 

How long does it take a person before they break? 

"Guys-" Cleopatra said, drawing both Sam and Dean's attention as the familiar rustling of wings echoed in the room. "I know I'm crazy, but please tell me you're seeing what I'm seeing so I'm not fullblown _mental._" 

Dean's head snapped up. 

"_Hello Dean."_

After gathering their bearings, Sam eagerly led Castiel - who was real, he made sure of it - to sit at the table in front of the window. Cleopatra still hadn't said a word and neither had Dean. "Unbelievable, man! I cannot believe you're actually here!" He exclaimed. "How'd you get out?" 

"I've been trying to reach out for a while." Cas replied. "But for whatever reason, I wasn't at full power so I couldn't connect with you." 

"That must've been why you two kept seeing him." Sam said. "Do you think?" 

"I mean, yeah. But I'm still not grasping.. how did you make it out?" Dean asked. "I mean, I was there. We _both _were. I know how we had to scratch and claw and kill and bleed to find that portal and make it through it, and it almost finished me. Probably would've had it not been for Cleopatra. So, uh.. how exactly are you sitting here with us right now?" 

Castiel remained silent as his gaze flickered to the silent woman behind Sam. She had yet to meet his eyes, yet say a world, and her silence was concerning. He wondered if she was thinking of their last words before she and Dean had found themselves back on earth. 

"Dean, everything you just said is completely true. That's the strange part. I have no idea. I remember endlessly running and hiding from Leviathan, and then I was on the side of the road in Illinois and that was it." 

"And that was it?" 

"And that was it. Yes." A moment of silence paused. "I'm dirty." 

Cleopatra was in such disbelief over the entire thing that his words elicited a snort. "Of course you are," She muttered. "Purgatory will do that to you." Castiel's eyes lit up at the sound of her voice as she moved from her spot behind Sam and extended her hand to him. "C'mon, angel. I wanna see the face beneath that beard." 

***

_"Maybe you were lied to. Maybe there is no seam." _

_"I lie." Benny said. "I don't get lied to. Aren't you guys all about faith?" _

_"Not particularly." Castiel replied. The four of them emerged through the thicket just on the outside of the forest to see a massive portal swirling up on the ridge above them, only accessible by the steep incline that lead right to it._

_"Oh yee of friggin little faith-" _

_"What on Earth-" Cleopatra interjected, staring at the swirling blue mass in awe. "Holy crap. I've never been so happy to see an escape hatch in my entire life!" _

_"It's reacting to you two." Castiel informed. _

_"Alright, are you ready?" Dean dropped his blade to the ground and rolled up his sleeve to slice his knife against the inner part of his forearm. "Just like we talked about." _

_Muttering a ancient Latin incantation, Dean watched as Benny's essence - his very soul - slipped from his Purgatory form and straight into his arm. The raw power of souls alone was enough to make him clench and unclench his fist, gritting his teeth as he did so. _

_"Let's go."_

_"Cleopatra, Dean-Wait!" Castiel wrenched his Nephilim backward just as two Leviathan landed on the ground in front of them, blocking their path to the portal. _

"Dean?" Sam's voice cut through the haze settling in his mind. "Are you alright?" 

Dean hadn't realized how much he'd been living in his memories until that point. "Hm?" he asked. "Oh, yeah. I'm fine. But Sammy.. you do see something severely wrong here, right? I remember every second of leaving that place. I mean I remember the heat, the stink, the pain, the fear. I remember Cleopatra not letting go of my arm once we made it to the portal, and I remembered the way she screamed when Cas didn't make it through. I have that whole ugly mess up here, and he has no idea how he got out?" 

"So you think he's lying?" 

"I'm saying something else happened. I saw the shape he was in. I mean, there was no way he was fighting alone to get out of there. No way." 

"Alright." Sam said. "So who, or _what_, got him out?" 

"Yeah. Exactly." 

Both brothers stopped short at the sound of laughter as Cleopatra came bounding out of the bathroom. The sound of her genuine, _happy _laughter was enough to catch their attention, but they were more interested in the way her gaze was brighter then it had been in weeks. 

"Tada!" She exclaimed. "We have an angel! A whole one!" 

Castiel wiped his hands on the bathroom towel and smiled. He looked.. well.. normal. He looked like Cas. 

"Better?" 

Cleopatra bumped his hip with her own. 

_Losing Cas so many times did that to her, and I thought.. well, if anyone in this world deserved to be happy, it was Cleopatra._

"Much." 

*** 

Cleopatra smiled as she sat between Castiel's parted legs and let him work his fingers through her hair while his eyes were glued on the TV. Dean had gone for another supply run and left Sam to do more research, keeping in contact with her mother as he did so. Apparently Alexandria Carter was a bigger asset then they realized. 

"I forgot how much you liked it when I did this." 

She tilted her head up to look at him. "Well, Cas." Cleo mused quietly as he tied off the end of the braid. "You do have magic hands." 

Cleopatra was so wrapped up in his touch that she missed the beginning of their conversation in which Castiel completed the list of names that Sam was rattling off. "Krista, Sven.." He tilted his head towards the TV. "Oh, I missed television."

"Wait, Cas." Dean interjected. "How did you know those other names?" 

"They're prophets! Angels instinctively know the names of every prophet. Past, present, future." 

"So this list has the name of every one of them that exists?" 

"Yes, until the next generation is born - plus Kevin Tran, of course. The other seven are future prophets since only one can exist at a time." 

"How is Kevin a prophet if Chuck is a prophet?" Sam asked. 

"Man, I haven't thought about that clown in _years-" _

_"_I'm not sure what happened to Chuck.. but he must be dead." Cleopatra stood to her feet and moved to stand behind the angel, curling her hands around his nape before lightly scratching at the base of his skull as her fingertips moved upward to thread through locks of chestnut hair. He suppressed a low groan in his throat and leaned into the touch. 

"So the next one comes off the bench if Kevin goes down?" 

Castiel nodded. "Exactly. They have no idea who they are, of course." 

"_Crowley." _Sam said. It made sense. The demon king would be getting desperate if he was unable to find the active prophet and needed a last resort in order to translate the demon tablet. "It would explain all of the weird phenomena. All the heavy duty lifting-" 

"I have a feeling something is going on." Castiel said as he came to stand beside Dean. The three of them looked on as Sam slipped his phone out of his pocket to answer it. 

"_Hello_? Mrs. Tran, where the-" He paused, fear flitting through his eyes as he looked to his brother and the two angels before standing to his feet. "Crowley has Kevin." 

***

_When did her arms start burning?_ _Where-Where was Dean-Why are the Leviathan still here? _

_Duck. Punch. Pivot. Evade. It was all instinct at this point. Not a moments hesitation in each precise movement she made to avoid the Leviathan intent on killing her and her angel. _

_"C-Cleo-''_

_Cleopatra yanked hard on the hair of the female Leviathan while Dean cut through the male, severing the vertebrae and tossing the decapitated body down the mountain. By the time Castiel looked up to the hand extended to him, his eyes widened in disbelief at the blood that spattered them. _

_"C'mon angel." She breathed. "We're nearly there." _

_He didn't like the way Purgatory had made her hard when she was the softness - the tender side he'd never seen as a fledgling in Heaven - in his life. Castiel needed gentle. Cleopatra was it. This creature of Purgatory's making was a far cry from that half-breed he'd met in a small town park watching over the children. _

_"We gotta move! The portal's closing!" _

_Castiel could barely climb up the incline to the portal. His feet ached, every breath was a struggle to take, and he was just.. tired. He was so tired. _

_Desperation filled Cleopatra's eyes as Dean gripped her hand like his life depended on it, barely able to stand the power radiating from the portal as the two of them looked down to the angel. _

_Cas lifted his eyes. Her hand was right there. _

_"C'mon Angel! C'mon!" _

_He latched onto her. _

_"We've got you! I've got you! Hold on!" _

_"Flower-" _

_"HOLD ON!" _

_One final effort was all that remained. He held his breath, met her eyes and yelled, "I LOVE YOU-" just before his hand slipped from hers. "Cleo!"_

_When Cleopatra opened her eyes again, she and Dean were lying side by side in the woods. She sat up, took a deep breath, and screamed until her lungs were raw. _

_***_

_"Cas, can I talk to you outside?" _

Cleopatra opened the door without a moments hesitation and stood on the opposite side of the Impala as Castiel moved to exit the rear passenger door. Everything felt numb. White. She could barely see her hands or feel the cold of the metal beneath her skin. 

She couldn't stop thinking about what he'd said in that bathroom. 

"_If you loved me.. why did you wait so long to tell me? And why'd you let go?" She paused and peered down at him from her spot propped up on the sink. "Angel, you let go of my hand." _

_"I did tell you. I've been telling you for years." He mused as she slowly dragged the razor against the grain of his beard. ''You just never learned to speak Enochian. And I let go because I wasn't risking you. Never you." _

It wasn't the fact that he'd said it for so long and just never _translated _it. It was the fact that they'd been right there, nearly through, and he valued his life so little that he'd subjected himself to suffering at the hands of the Leviathan for what he'd done. 

"What?" 

"_Exactly._" Dean snapped. "What happened? Back there in Purgatory, I told you-_No, _we told you we would get you out. We were there, she had your hand.. It was like you just gave up. It's like you didn't _believe _we could do it! You kept saying that you didn't think it would work. Did you not trust me?" 

"Dean-" 

"I did everything I could to get you out. _Everything." _

Cleopatra lifted her head to gaze at the two men. She was tired. Her bones were aching, her muscles tense, her eyes bleary - but it wasn't just physical. No. Her _soul _was tired. 

"_Heartache." _

Dean's expression softened as gold flickered through his eyes and the tension visibly left his body as he exhaled a low, deep sigh. Castiel squinted in confusion. "I did not leave you." 

"So you think this was your fault?" He asked. "_Either _of you?" 

Before the two of them could respond, Mrs. Tran's car appeared on the road and pulled into the open space beside the Impala. She told them in short detail about what had happened and how they could find Kevin, who Crowley had taken to decipher the demon tablet. 

They found themselves in Iowa by the next morning. The four of them entered the complex with ease, keeping to the shadows to avoid any demon incursions that would alert Crowley to their presence. 

"_Let's split up." _

Castiel, Cleopatra and Dean went to find Kevin while Sam went looking for the other prophets. It wasn't until after smiting an unfortunate demon who'd happened to cross their path that they realized Castiel was not back at his full power. 

"Dean, I'm going in." 

"Cas-_No_, you're not strong enough!" 

Cleopatra gripped the angels wrist in her hand. "_He's not going alone." _

They landed just on the opposite side of the door. Kevin glanced up and smiled - to the best of his ability - in relief despite the blood that caked the majority of his face. "Castiel." Crowley crooned. "Fresh from Purgatory. I do wish you'd called first." 

"Crowley." 

"Which Castiel is it this time? I'm never sure." 

"Kevin is coming with us." Cleopatra interjected. 

"I think _not._" He tutted. "The prophet is playing on my team now." Cleopatra curved around the two and pulled Kevin far out of the way of the inevitable incursion as they both held up their blades. "Well, this is all very West Side Story, but let's be logical. You look like hell, and I should know.. You're not up for this." 

"Kevin-Shield your eyes!" 

Kevin covered his eyes with his hands and peered through his fingers just as a magnificent light began filling the room. Cleopatra watched on in awestruck _wonder. _It had been a long time since Castiel had used an intimidation tactic. 

"Maybe you can get it up, but you can't keep it up." 

His eyes grew brighter. 

Cleopatra felt her jaw drop as the shadow of his wings shone against the wall behind him. It was a wonder how the vessels the angels chose managed to subdue the divine beings held within. 

"You're bluffing!" 

"_You want to take that chance?" _

He held his hand outward, palm glowing, and slammed it into the glass display case. The tablet fragmented beneath such power. 

When they all opened their eyes again, Crowley was gone - and Dean had only just broken through the door. 

***

They met up with Kevin in tow outside the warehouse. 

"The cops are on their way. They're going to pick up the prophets." Sam said. 

Cleopatra watched the angel beside her through her peripheral as he uncomfortably rolled his shoulders. She wondered if his wings were bothering him. _What you did back in there was really sexy, Angel. _Cleo shifted her weight to lean against her trunk with her hip as she tilted her head. _Awe inspiring. _

He met her eyes. 

"What about us?"

_"_I called a friend of ours. Garth. He does what we do. In his own way. He'll keep an eye on you guys. No more going off on your own." Sam said. 

_Was it now? _Castiel mused. She wanted to kiss the smug quirk of his lips right off his handsome face. _Because I'm feeling an after effect that's not very sexy. _

_Which is? _

_Tired. And my wings hurt. _He pouted as he rolled his shoulder again. _It's most unpleasant. _Cleopatra raised her hand to lay it against his face before dragging her thumb over the curve of his cheek. He was so warm. So alive. But he didn't... He didn't _feel _like Castiel. Something was missing. 

_I'll fix that later. Seems like Dean wants to keep talking. _

_"_That was a bonehead move back there." Dean commented. "You could've gotten killed. Why didn't you wait for me?" 

"Because I had Cleopatra. Either way, I _didn't _get killed. And it worked." Cas snapped. 

"And if it didn't?" 

"It would've been my problem." 

Dean grimaced. "Yeah, that's not the way I see it." 

"Hey! Everything is not your responsibility," Cas chided. "Getting me out of Purgatory wasn't your responsibility either. _Either _of you." 

"Well, that responsibility became my _failure _when you said you loved me and then let go of my hand." Cleopatra snapped. Castiel winced at the _anger _in her voice. "_Lord, _Cas-Heaven only knows that I love you, but waking up without you there? It took my will to live. I didn't want to fight anymore because I'd lost you." Both pairs of eyes turned to the half-breed as she dipped her head to her chest. "Again. How was I supposed to keep going knowing I'd failed the man I loved by leaving him there?" 

"You didn't get out, Cas." Dean said. "You _didn't. _So whose fault was it? Mine? Hers?" 

"It's not _about _fault. It's about will." Cas squinted in confusion. "Dean, do you really not remember?" 

Dean laughed in disbelief. "I live it, Cas. Okay?" He said. "I know what happened." 

"No, you think you know.. you remembered it the way you needed to." 

"_Look_. I don't need to feel like hell for failing you, okay?!" He exclaimed. "For failing you like I've failed every other god forsaken thing I care about. I don't need it!" 

Oh.. his pour soul. It's so tormented. 

"Dean, just look at it-" Dean scrambled backward as Castiel extended his hand to press two fingers to his forehead. "_Really _look at it. Both of you." 

Cleopatra didn't pay attention to anything but the fact that he said _i love you_ and shoved her backwards into Deans arms. He'd still let go of her hand. He'd still said I love you and chose her own life without considering his own. He'd choose her. _Every time. _

"See, it wasn't that I was weak. I was stronger then you, so I pulled away. I wanted to keep her safe. To get you both home. Nothing you could've done would've saved me because I didn't want to be saved." 

"What are you _talking _about?!" 

"It's where I belonged! I had to penance for the things I did on Earth and in Heaven. I didn't deserve to be out." 

"If this _stupid _logic made any sense, Castiel, it should've been _me _that stayed! I was the one who slaughtered your brothers and sisters for the justice I believed you deserved!" Cleopatra snarled as she shoved her hands roughly into his chest. He took every hit. Every crack of her knuckles against his chest and the pain that accompanied it. "Why do you value your life _so little!?_" 

"Because I saw it clearly when I was there, Cleopatra! I didn't deserve to be out, and I had planned on staying all along." He captured her hands in his own and rested them against the curve of his neck. Shame permeated his expression as he saw the guilt that flooded the eyes that could always see him so well despite the masks he wore. "I didn't know how to tell you. You can't save everyone, my friend." 

_You can't save everyone. But you can love them,_

"Though you try." 

_And hope that it's enough. _

"Hey," Sam's voice cut through the conversation. "Is everything okay?" 

Cas turned a palm upward and pressed a kiss thereupon before allowing her hands to fall back to her sides. "Yeah," He said. "We're just setting a few things straight." 

"Good. Garth is going to lay low with the Tra-" 

_Castiel paused as the scenery of the warehouse shifted into the inner designs of what looked to be an office. It held the same pristine white color as most of Heaven's halls did, nearly bare albeit the two chairs and the desk behind him. "Hello Castiel." The angel behind the desk greeted. _

_"Where am I?" _

_"You don't know?" She asked. "You're home, Castiel." _

_"Heaven?" He paused briefly to take in his surroundings. Little to Castiel's knowledge, half of a garrison of angels and the angel in front of him had barricaded themselves in here over a year before to ward off a raging Nephilim seeking justice for her soulmate. "I've never been here before." _

_"Not many have." She said. "My name is Naomi. We rescued you." _

_"Purgatory-" He snapped his mouth shut and grimaced. _

_"An incursion of angels which cost us many lives. Consider these chats your repayment." _

_"I don't understand." _

_Naomi folded her hands. "Tell me about Sam and Dean and Cleopatra." She demanded. Again, the two had already been acquainted, but there was little in Heaven's records about the abomination who'd been allowed to walk the Earth when the Seraphim had defied orders to keep her alive. Naomi intended to change that. It was time for a cleansing flood. _

_"The prophet is being kept safe and the tablet has split in two.. the Winchesters are trying to recover the missing piece. They are in her charge. Cleopatra watches over them when I'm unable. Why-Why am I telling you this?" _

_"It's not your concern. Help the Winchesters and the half-breed, come when they call. You will report in to me regularly and you will never remember having done so." _

_Castiel shook his head. "No. I won't do that." He might've had alot of things taken from him, but he still had his free will. The ability to make his own decisions. _

_The smile Naomi flashed him made the angel uneasy. _

_"Now, as you were. They won't even notice you were gone." _

The brothers might not have noticed something was wrong, but Cleopatra did. 

"You're with us on this one, right Cas?" Sam furrowed his brow as the angel blinked repeatedly, trying to clear the haze from his mind. "Cas, are you okay?" 

"I-I'm fine." He replied. "And yes, I am with you. All of you. If that's alright." 

Dean nodded before watching the angel walk away from him and back towards the Impala. Sam followed suit. Cleopatra caught Dean's arm before he could trek to the drivers side door and watched the elder Winchesters eyes fall, expression anguished, before she stood on her tiptoes to press a kiss to his cheek. 

"_Love you, Dean."_ She whispered in his ear. "_Always."_

He didn't really realize it, but Dean felt inexplicably warm when he entered the car. Maybe the Nephilim was the cure to heartache after all. 


	63. Hunteri Heroici

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The one where Castiel gets his hands dirty by doing the one thing Cleopatra never envisioned him doing: Hunting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> honestly this is for my own self-indulgence at this point

It's the little things that matter most, y'know? The times where he takes a wad of money and ventures into the gas station to buy her her favorite soda. The times in the back of the Impala where Cleopatra will want to stretch her legs across the back seat and Castiel will let her, making himself as small as possible as he wraps his trench coat around her form and lets her lay her head on his shoulder. 

She's reminded of those times right now in the midst of carrying a Pepsi and a cup of hot, black coffee from the gas station. Castiel was reading the paper while leaning against the trunk as she approached. "Hey handsome," Cleopatra mused, arching an eyebrow as he met her gaze. "I want you to try something." 

"Black coffee?" 

"You said angels can't taste anything else, but black coffee has no taste." She commented, gently nudging his side as she leaned into the car beside him. "Go on. Try it." 

Castiel smiled and turned to kiss the side of her head as Dean approached. _It's quite good. _"What's the word, Cas?" Dean asked. 

"It's a shortened version of my name." 

Cleopatra snorted as she rested her head against his shoulder and took a sip of her drink. "No duh." She mused. "He meant is there any tablet chatter on angel radio?" 

"I couldn't say. I turned that off." He replied. 

Cleopatra frowned. Castiel had a hard enough time being able to cope with the simple fact that he was no longer apart of Heaven - that as long as he allied himself with humanity, he would always be an outcast - and part of her wondered how long it had taken him to turn off angel radio. 

"You can do that?" 

"It just involves blocking out subatomic frequencies. I could draw you a diagram, if that's what you want-“

Dean shook his head. "No," He said. "We're good, thanks. Why did you flip the switch?" 

Cas straightened his spine and met his gaze. "Because it's a direct link to Heaven." He replied. Cleopatra softened when she felt him reach behind him to play with her fingertips before lacing his fingers through her own. The action sent warmth right down to her toes. "And I don't want anything to do with that place. Not anymore." 

"So what now? Move to Vermont, open up a charming B&B?" Dean's eyes flickered between the two of them. "_Get married?_" 

"No." Her heart sank. Was he just.. rejecting the idea entirely? Or insinuating that it wouldn't happen _now? _"I still want... I still need to help people." Cas beamed at Dean who looked back at him in disbelief. "So I'm going to become a hunter!" 

Immediately Sam jabbed his thumb at the Nephilim. 

"He's _your _responsibility!" Sam exclaimed. "Are you serious? Really?" 

Castiel nodded eagerly. "Yeah! I could be your third wheel!" 

_Oh, bless your precious heart. _

_"_You are aware that's not a good thing, right?" 

"Of course it is!" Cas exclaimed. "A third wheel adds extra grip, greater stability.. I even found a case." He held the newspaper up in front of Deans face and motioned to the largest column about a sudden death in Oklahoma City that the coroners were having a hard time classifying. "Oklahoma City, a man's heart jumped ten feet out of his chest. Sounds like our kind of thing, right?" 

The expression Dean gave in response would be engraved into her head for years. 

"He's got a point." Sam interjected. 

"Excellent, I'll see you there. C'mon Flower-" Cleopatra lightly tugged back on his hand as she shook her head, keeping him grounded by the firm grip on his hand. 

"Cas, if you want to play cowboys and bloodsuckers that's fine, but you're gonna stick with us. None of this zapping around crap. Capiche?" 

The Seraph grimaced. "Yeah. I capiche." He said. "Can I, uh.. at least ride in the front seat?" 

"_No." _

Cleopatra smiled at Castiel's annoyance as she opened the back door and lightly tugged on him so he'd follow her back inside the Impala. "C'mon angel," She cooed. "Let me tell about all the fun things you get to do when you hunt." 

So together they sat in the back of the Impala, her knees bent up and over his leg, Castiel's hand burning the inside of her thigh as he lightly traced circles on the fabric of her jeans. 

_I love you. _She murmured, pressing against his mind with the lightest touch. Castiel dipped his head to his chest, cheeks red with embarrassment. It was still so new. So.. foreign. He was not used to being treated so _reverently. _Like a prized jewel. Like he mattered. _Hm... my angel. _

Dean and Sam remained oblivious as she leaned forward and gently nosed his cheek, smiling against his skin as he turned his head just enough to lay the ghost of a kiss on her lips. _And I you, Cleopatra. _

The way he said her name made her dizzy. 

*** 

"The coroner said his heart had been ejected from his body. Got some air too. Found it in a sandbox." 

Watching Castiel interact with the corpse in front of her would've been hilarious had he not been so.. _intimate _about it. _Stand still, Cas. _Cleopatra chided as she lightly nudged him with her hip to get his attention. _Let Sam and Dean do the work. You're supposed to be learning, remember? _

_"_Any idea what happened, Detective?" 

"Alot of people are thinking drugs." 

Castiel shook his head as he turned to Cleopatra and Dean. "There are no narcotics in that mans system," He whispered. "His molecules are all wrong." 

"Why don't you _listen _to the detective and we'll see what _she _has to say?" Cleopatra hissed. 

"A friend of his named Olivia Kopple. She was with him when he died." The ringing of the detectives phone broke through the reverie that hung in the morgue as she slipped it from her pocket to answer it. "Crap, I have to take this. Here's everything." She handed the file to Cleopatra and nodded. "Knock yourself out." 

"Thanks!" 

"I can't sense any EMF or sulfur," Cleopatra and Sam looked skeptically to the angel in front of them. "Mr. Freilings arterial health is _excellent._" Sam arched a brow almost as if to say _this is the man you're going to marry someday? _when Castiel began sniffing the air just above the sheet that covered the lower half of his body. "He did just recently suffer from a.. what _is _that?? Oh! Bladder infection." 

That elicited bright laughter from the Nephilim. 

"Cas," Dean said flatly. "Stop smelling the dead guy." 

"Now I know everything about this man, so we can-" 

"Cas, sweetie." Blue eyes snapped over to meet blue-green as Cleopatra and Sam looked up from the file they were reading together. "You may know all the _external _and _internal, _but did you know he was having an affair?" 

A pause. "What?" 

Dean smirked. "Strike one, Sherlock." 

"According to Olivia, they would meet at the park every Thursday at 12:45, walk to the Moonlight Diner where she would order a caesar salad, dressing on the side, they'd chat about everything and she'd be back on the road by 1:30." Sam recounted word for word from the report Olivia had initially filed after the incident. 

"You don't think she's telling the truth." 

"Too much detail. It's definitely been rehearsed." 

"Plus," Sam added as he shut the file and laid it back on the examination table. "We drove past the Moonlight Diner on the way into town. It's attached to the Moonlight Hotel." 

"Okay, so let's say Gary here's on the prowl, but he's playing it safe because, _ha_-" Dean reached beneath the sheet and lifted the corpses hand to reveal the wedding ring that still adorned his left hand. "The dude's married. Doesn't want anyone to see his ride parked out by a by the hour fleabag." 

"He starches his car at the park across the street and meets Olivia." Cleopatra said. 

"His wife probably found out about it and broke her heart." 

"_So she breaks his." _

Cleopatra's eyes shined with pride. "Legendary." Castiel still appeared to be all matters of confused. "Well, I don't know about you two.. but it definitely sounds witchy." 

"My smart, smart half breed," Dean chided, beaming when she glared daggers at him from across the table. "You're exactly right. It does. Poor Gary was living a lie and it came back to bite him in the ticker." He clucked his distastefully. "Nice job on the bladder infection." 

Cleopatra smiled softly at Cas as they followed Sam and Dean out of the coroners office and back to the Impala. 

_We all have to start somewhere. _She had whispered. Castiel had simply looked back at her, feigned a smile, and said _Good thing I've got you to teach me. _

*** 

The four of them stood around Mrs. Freilings dining room table less then an hour later. It wasn't _meant _to be an interrogation, just a simple questioning about what she knew - which Dean and Sam had asked Cleopatra to do because being personable and open was what she was _good _at - and then it'd taken a turn. 

"_Agent Stills_," She snapped. Castiel went silent at the rings of gold that surrounded the blue-green eyes that were narrowed in on him. Cleopatra was irritated. "A word? _Now?_" 

Dean and Sam continued their conversation with the widower while Cleopatra pulled the Seraph just into the front hall. 

"I was being bad cop." 

"Yeah well, you're a terrible bad cop." She murmured. "Look.. just, listen to Sam." The two of them went to stand in the open area by Sam as he continued speaking to Mrs. Freiling only to be cut off by the impromptu arrival of someone at their front door. 

"Olivia!" 

"_No way." _Cleo deadpanned. Her brow shot up and nearly disappeared in her hairline. "You're-As in _Mistress _Olivia?!" 

"I'm sorry," Mrs. Freiling commented as the two women turned to acknowledge the four of them, arm wrapped around the younger woman's shoulder. "What did you think Gary was hiding?" 

Castiel spoke before anyone could stop him. "That he was sleeping with her." He replied, oblivious to the way Cleopatra's ears tipped red, followed by her cheeks, and then a palm pressed to her forehead. 

Much to their shock, Mrs. Freiling nodded. "I know." 

"You-" Cleopatra swallowed the knot in her throat. "You _know?_" 

"Gary and I.. we had an arrangement." She began. "He was seeing Olivia and I was spending some time with our neighbor, PJ." 

Castiel frowned as he felt the _waves _of anger that the woman beside him was projecting. He'd have to ask her about that when they were back in the car. 

"The freaking suburbs, man!" Dean exclaimed. "_Ow! _What was that for?!" 

"They were married! I.. Oh. I _hate _open marriages." She snarled. Dean's eyes widened at the rush of wind that followed the sharp pivot as Cleopatra stormed out of the house. He wouldn't know until later that the sudden rush of air was from the very _angry _flap of wings. 

"So she's not a witch," Castiel commented as he watched the door slam so hard the hinges rattled. "Excuse me. I'll check on her." 

Every mental shield was up. Given the gold eyes and the way that her wings had enveloped her _entirely _despite the confining area of the Impala, Cleopatra didn't speak a word even after Castiel took his seat beside her in the Impala. 

He didn't need to talk. Just the feeling of his hand - warm and heavy against her thigh - was enough reassurance that he was there.

***

Victim #3: _Splat. _

"I understand." Cleopatra hummed as she sat tucked between his knees, his fingers threaded through her hair as he moved to braid the loose raven strands back together. "The bird represents God and the coyote is man endlessly chasing the divine but never able to catch him?" She couldn't see the brothers' expressions, but she imagined skepticism. _Hilarious _skepticism. "It's hilarious." 

She patted his knee and leaned back into his touch. "Sure Cas." She murmured. "Whatever you say, Angel." 

Cleopatra tuned out the brother's conversation to hone in on the way his fingertips lightly scratched against her scalp and the low thrum of his presence at her ear - a comforting sound that pierced her to her very soul - and slowly stood up just to settle herself back in his lap. 

_What were you so angry about earlier? _He asked, eyes narrowed in concentration as he finished off the end of the braid. _You've never shut me out before. Not like that. _

_The way that woman treated marriage infuriated me. You.. You manage to meet your soulmate, and then what? Just suddenly decide your vows are null? That it meant nothing? _She shook her head and turned to meet his gaze. _When I make you a vow, I keep it. Till the end of my days. You hear me? _

Castiel nodded. The fierce devotion in her words made his heartbeat stutter. _I hear you. _

"Cas, are you two going to book your room or what?" Dean commented. "I mean, we're _willing _to share a bed with your girl. It's not like we haven't done it before." 

It was her turn to laugh at the alarm in his eyes. "No," He replied. "I'll stay here. Maybe in the corner chair." 

"Oh, _okay_-" Dean deadpanned. "We'll stay here, maybe have a slumber party! I can braid Sam's hair while Cleopatra shows us how _great _she is at making bullets go into walls with a flick of her wrist. Where do you plan on sleeping, _Cassanova?_" 

"I don't sleep." 

"Okay, well I need my four hours so-" 

"I'll watch over you." 

"That is arguably the cutest thing I've ever heard in my life." Cleopatra whispered in Sam's ear as she passed him to retrieve her bag, wiggling her fingers to make a cup of his favorite coffee appear beside his laptop. He thanked her with a gentle kiss to the temple. 

"Something is coming across the police band,'' Castiel said as he stood to his feet and pressed his fingers agains this temple. "It's all waves.. A bank has been robbed. It sounds loony." 

"Define loony." 

Loony turned out to be a human being _crushed _beneath an anvil. The longer they worked this case, the _stranger _it got. It almost seemed like everything was being pulled straight out of the pages of a cartoon. It was downright sadistic. 

"Your father had beautiful handwriting," Dean turned away from the laptop on the motel table to the pair on the bed. Cleopatra had changed into her night clothes immediately upon returning to the motel and had very prompt fallen asleep tucked in the space between his legs, her fingers curled around his coat and her head pillowed by his chest. 

Dean paused. Wasn't a more opportune time to talk then now. 

"How are you feeling, Cas?" 

If Castiel had been at all knowledgeable about what was _really _going on, he would've replied with something other then, "Fine." Here's the problem: He didn't. That would come back to bite him later. 

"Well, I just-I know that when Cleo and I got puked out of Purgatory together, it took us a few weeks to find our sea legs. Her moreso then me." 

"I'm _fine._" 

"Don't get me wrong, I'm happy you're back. Friggin' thrilled. It's just this whole mysterious resurrection thing.. It always has one mother of a downside." 

Castiel rolled his eyes and shut Johns journal, setting it to the side before he enveloped the woman in his arms fully. "So," He whispered. "What do you want me to do?" 

"Why don't you take a trip upstairs?" Dean asked. "Poke around... See if the God Squad can't tell us how you got out." 

"_No._" 

"Look man, I hate those monkeys as much as you do, but-" 

"DEAN!" Dean winced at the exclamation in the angel's voice. Green eyes flickered across his face and down to his hands, now white knuckled as he fisted Cleopatra’s teeshirt, and back up to the resignation on his face. "I said no!" 

Cleopatra turned in her sleep and pressed her face against the side of his neck. Castiel shuddered at the contact. 

_She'd want me to comfort him. _

"Okay." Dean said softly as he took his seat in the opposite bed and clasped his hands together. "Talk to me." 

"Dean-I," Castiel swallowed the bile threatening to rise in his throat. "When I was bad and I had all those things - The Leviathans - writhing inside of me, I caused alot of suffering on Earth. I _devastated _Heaven. I vaporized thousands of my own kind and I can't go back." He slowly exhaled through his nose. "And that doesn't begin to even cover what Cleopatra did in _my _name. Trying to get _me _justice. I can't go back. Not ever." 

"Because if you do the angels will kill you." 

"Because if I see what Heaven has become, what I-" Castiel closed his eyes as he tried and fail to regain composure on his words. Had it not been for the head that lifted from his shoulder and the warm fingers that curved around his jaw, he would've been stuck inside of his own suffering for the rest of the night. _I love you. _She had said, warm and soft and sleepy against his chest before settling back down in her spot. _My angel. _"What I made of it.. I'm afraid I might kill myself." 

Dean didn't suggest him going back to Heaven after that. Not only because of his admission, but because he didn't want Cleopatra - the one who was the balm to all their heartache - to have to deal with it. He'd said she deserved to be happy _with _Castiel. Not without him. 

*** 

When she woke up the next day in a different bed in a nearly empty room, Cleopatra was alarmed. "Hello, Flower." Castiel's baritone called out as he opened the front door and entered the room with a bottle of milk and a muffin. "The motel doesn't have breakfast, but I made do with the vending machine." 

Her heart swelled at the act of service.

"Thank you, Cas." She yawned as she took the items from him, setting them to the side before lightly tugging on his tie to bring him back into bed. "Here's my _thanks_." 

Castiel smiled as he crooked his elbows, balancing his weight on them as he trapped Cleopatra in the cage of his body. Sunlight filtered in through the sheer curtains at the front of the room, basking her in an aura of gold. 

She surged upward and captured his mouth with her own. It had taken a considerable amount of time for the angel to be _comfortable _with kissing, but this... there was nothing that compared to this. The warm tease of tongue against the seam of his lips, the wandering hands that loosely tugged on chestnut hair, the way his fingers _ached _to curl themselves in the down feathers of her wings. 

"You know," He whispered against the column of her throat as she tilted her head to give him better access. Gods.. he was so _warm. _"If you wanted me to wake you up like this, all you had to do was ask." 

"That sounds awfully dirty." Cleopatra mused as she bent her knees on either side of him, allowing him to lay in the cradle of her hips. "You want to act on that-" 

The door slammed open. Cleopatra shrieked at Dean and Sam as they entered, clearly unfazed by the sight, and extended their hands. 

"I've seen worse. In fact, I've _been _worse. C'mon. Get up. We're going out." 

Cleopatra huffed as the angel rolled over and drew her to her feet. _We're gonna act on that desire later, angel. _She mused as she drug the heel of her foot up his calf. Castiel shivered at the contact, thankful the brothers remained oblivious to the _obvious _sight of desire coursing through his vessel. 

"Where are we going?" 

***

The old folks home. The only place in the center of all the.. strange things that had been occurring since they'd come to town to work this case. 

Cleopatra ran her hands down the pressed navy blue pantsuit she wore and turned to look at Dean as he pressed himself against the wall to evade the elderly man who hobbled by on his walker. "Don't worry Dean," She cooed. "That'll be you in about... eh... forty years." 

"_EXCUSE ME??_" 

"C'mon, Dean." Sam remarked. "It's not that bad." 

"Don't tell me this place doesn't give you the heebs and or jeebs!" 

"Hello." An older man, probably in his mid fifties, greeted as he approached them. Cleopatra reached into the breast pocket of her jacket to pull out her FBI badge, watching from the corner of her eye as Castiel did the same. "Can I help you?" 

"Agent Crosby, FBI." 

"I'm Doctor Mahoney. I run Sunset Fields." 

"We need to question your residents." Castiel interjected. 

"Why?"

"Grand larceny, mostly." Sam replied. 

Doctor Mahoney blinked in disbelief. "Of course. By all means, ask away. If there's anything I can do to help.. please let me know." He feigned a smile and curved around them to approach the nurses station nearest to the front door. 

"Okay, let's do this." Dean said. He held his hand up and extended two fingers to the Nephliim and Seraphim behind him who both guffawed at his remark. "No flirting, you two." 

The next thirty minutes were spent speaking to the residents, most of which were too senile or delusional to give any kind of formal answer that would help them in their case. 

Cleopatra wasn't paying attention to most of them. Her eyes were flickering back towards Sam, who was leaning against the wall so deep in his memories that he didn't even notice her approach. This had been happening more and more since Castiel had taken Lucifer from him and they'd been sent to Purgatory. He'd told her the bare minimum of what she needed to know about Amelia. 

Clearly he was still grieving something he'd barely had. 

"_Sam._" Her fingers gently prodded his inner forearm, brow knit in concern as his eyes snapped open and flickered down to meet hers. The younger Winchester feigned a smile as she leaned against the same wall and kept her gaze solely focused on him. "Are you okay? Did you get anything?" 

"I'm fine." 

"You always were a terrible liar, y'know." He huffed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "We can talk about it later. What did you find?" 

''Nothing. No EMF, no hex bags, no sulfur." 

Dean's fingers wrapped around her hip as he pressed his shoulder to her own. "Yeah, and half the residents don't even remember being robbed." He said. Cleopatra turned her head to follow Sam's eyes as they narrowed in on a photo of one of the residents - _Fred Jones, Room 114 _\- scrawled across the bottom. 

"Dean-uh, do you remember a guy named Fred Jones? He was a contact of Dad's, lived right outside Salt Lake City." 

Dean nodded. "Yeah! The guy gave me my first beer. I don't think I was even double digits." 

"Yeah, me too! Um.. he was psychic, right?" 

"Psychokinetic. Why?" 

Sam pressed his finger against the photo. "Because he's in Room 114." 

Realization dawned on both the brothers expressions as they turned to call for their angel. "Cas!" Dean exclaimed. "Let's go." 

True to his word, Castiel had spent nearly the entire time interrogating the lone tabby cat who was lounging on the table that held most of the board games. "I've almost cracked him." 

"_Castiel,_" The soft voice of his girlfriend chided as she beckoned him forward to follow. "_Now._" 

*** 

The two of them stood on the outside of the room as Dean and Sam approached their father's former colleague. What _really _intrigued her, however, was the fact that he was utterly oblivious to their presence at all. Like he was in an entirely different reality then they were. 

"You really think this one man is causing all these shenanigans?" 

"Well, if he was he'd be surrounded by a whole circle of crazy, right?" To prove his point, Dean picked up the nearest book and smacked himself over the head with it. 

Metal clanged. Birds flew around his head. 

Cleopatra gaped. _"Wow."_

"But how?" Cas asked. "How does he do that?" 

"Fred's got juice," Sam replied. "An average psychokinetic can move things with his mind, but with a guy like Fred.. you get him worked up, he can reshape reality." 

"It's like something straight out of the X-Men movies!" 

"While that's _true, _and I'm disappointed _you _of all people know that, where is his off switch?" 

"He doesn't have one." Cleopatra said. "I honestly don't even think he knows you're standing here. Look." She knelt down and followed his eyes with her finger. "He's _invested _into whatever you just turned off-" 

"Do we kill him?" 

"_Excuse me, _Agents." Cleopatra stiffened at the clipped, angered tone of Doctor Mahoney as he and one of the staff entered the room. "Did he just threaten to kill my patient?" 

Dean, Sam and Cleopatra all looked at one another exasperatedly. 

"_Friggin' smooth, _man!" Dean exclaimed as they were escorted to the front of the facility. 

"Well, we don't have to leave him. Cleopatra or I could teleport him-" 

"Fred is radioactive, Cas. You zap him, there's no telling what'll happen." Sam said. 

"Sam and I will circle around back tonight, get Fred nice and clean." Dean remarked. "You and 'Patra go invisible girl and keep your eyes on him. You hear me?" 

The flutter of wings was their only reply. 

***

Castiel stood vigil at the scene of the crime: An exploded cake. 

"Ah, you got my message. Good." Castiel turned around to greet Dean as he approached them. "There was a pastry mishap. The frosting reached near subatomic speeds-" 

"Hey." Sam called out as he and Cleopatra jogged down the hall to meet the other two. "Fred's gone." 

"What?!" 

"I left for _five _seconds to come back and check on these people, _Dean_-" Cleopatra snarled. "I took my eye off the ball for _five freaking seconds _and he was gone!" 

One of the nurses, a girl who couldn't have been much younger then Cleopatra, grimaced as she approached them. "You're not supposed to be here." She snapped. 

"Charles! She's wearing my diamonds!" 

"Wait-" Castiel's hand reached out to grasp her wrist. His eyes flickered down to the bracelet there - the exact details of the bracelet the older woman before him had told him about earlier - before he met her confused gaze. "This is Mrs. Tates bracelet. Where did you get it?" 

"Answer the question." Dean demanded. 

"My boyfriend gave it to me!" 

After coaxing the girl to give them the address of her boyfriend, the four of them infiltrated the apartment and found much of the items that had been stolen _and _the boyfriend who'd taken a gunshot to the abdomen. 

"Cleopatra, if you would." 

Cleopatra's expression softened as she knelt down beside the other man and extended her palm, gold light piercing the darkness of the room, as she laid it on top of his stomach. The wound stitched itself closed and appeared as nothing but supple skin less then a moment later. 

"How did you-" 

"She eats her wheaties," Dean remarked as Castiel lightly tugged on her hips, pulling Cleopatra against his body as Sam and Dean hoisted the other man to his feet and sat him in the wooden chair in the center of the room. "C'mon, get up. Sit down." 

"Wait a second!" He exclaimed. "What-What did she just do to me?!" 

"Hey, listen up-" Dean stuck a finger menacingly in his face. "Where is Fred Jones?" 

"I-He took him!" 

"Who took him?" 

"Doctor Mahoney! That guy is _evil, _okay-He's using Mr. Jones!" 

"How?" 

"Look, all Fred does is watch cartoons but he is _magic. _Okay-A few weeks ago, I slammed my foot in his door. Smashed it _flat. _When I shook it, it popped back up like something straight out of a cartoon! So I told Doctor Mahoney and he started doing experiments just to see what he could do." 

"What about the robberies?" Cleopatra asked. 

"Oh, Mahoney has been skimming off of Sunset Fields for years. Alot of the folks got stuff stashed away. Like, off the books. Mahoney would track down the loot and we'd take Fred for a drive." 

"Right. Use his bubble of weird to rip people off." Dean commented. "How did you get gut-shot?" 

"Mahoney! After he anvilled that guard, he started freaking out! You showed up, the cake blew up in the dayroom and then he lost it!" 

"What do you mean, lost it?" 

"I mean he's on his way back to the bank right now for one last score." He replied. "Doc's blowing town. Said Fred was a loose end and that he was going to kill him, and because I like Fred I said I would go to the cops if he did and then just shot me!" 

"Okay." 

The four of them made their way back out to the car. 

"Do you think Mr. Jones knows what's happening?" 

"I don't know. I think Mr. Jones is living in a dream world." 

Again Cleopatra saw an opportunity to pull Sam from his memories, so she positioned herself behind him instead of directly in her seat beside Castiel and gently pressed her fingers to his temples. _Let me in, Sam. _She'd whispered. Sam fought _hellishly _to keep her from opening the door that stood directly in front of her in his mind, almost like he didn't want to be _ashamed _of what stood on the other side of it. _It's just me. _

Sam's best friend is a girl with gold eyes and a heart that loves him _far _more then he deserves. 

The door was thrown open, and Cleopatra finally was allowed to see. There was a girl. A _beautiful girl, _one that took Sam's breath away, and for the short span of a year.. He'd been out of the life. He'd been happy. 

_I'm sorry Sam. _

_I know. _He had replied. Cleopatra did her utmost best to mask her shock at how he'd remembered that they could communicate this way when she initiated it. _I know you are. And thank you, really, but there's no need to be. _

_Yeah there is. You were happy. _

He doesn't reply. She's not surprised by it. 

They pull into the alley beside the bank and split up. Dean and Cleopatra moved through the black hole attached to the wall while Castiel and Sam move around the corner and disappear from sight. 

Dean peered over his shoulder to ensure the Nephilim was standing behind him. "Okay 'Patra," He mused. "Ready to nab some rascals?" 

"I'm pretty sure it's supposed to be _ready to nab some wascaly wabbits?_ But yes, sure, let's go!" 

The pair emerged on the other side of the hole just inside the bank's vault. They moved in perfect synchronization - years worth of training Cleopatra in hunting and working cases together as a pair - as they entered the room, weapons raised and aimed. 

"What's up Doc?" 

Doctor Mahoney winced as he put down the stolen belongings and raised his eyes to meet theirs. 

"You let me walk and half of this is yours." He offered. 

Cleopatra tilted her head. Gold eyes flashed menacingly at the other man - who was now a threat to her and Dean - as she stared him down. "As enticing as that is, I derive great satisfaction from the thought of watching you rot in jail," She replied. "Neither of us are into stealing from sweet old ladies. _Pass." _

He shook his head. "I'm not stealing from them. I'm stealing from their children who think they can drop their folks off at a home, visit them twice a year, _maybe. _I took care of _all _of these old geezers, I think I deserve-" 

"Guess what, I don't care." Dean snapped. "And neither does she. 'Patra?" 

"It'd be my honor, Dean'o." Without even _moving, _Cleopatra managed to send everything he'd obtained from the deposit boxes scattering onto the floor. The Doctor looked on at her in utter fascination, clearly intrigued by the eyes that stared back at him. 

"What are you?" 

"Your everyday abomination." She replied. "And you're not walking out of here. We won't let you." 

"Fine. Have it your way." 

She squeezed the trigger and waited for him to fall with the bullet lodged in his torso but only found herself staring back at a little red flag that read **_BANG! _**that protruded from the barrel of the handgun. After catching Dean off guard by slamming him against the wall of deposit boxes, he did the same, and produced the same result. 

"_Welcome to the Fun House!_"

"Go!" Cleopatra gasped. "Get after him!" 

Watch this scene with me: Dean (Hunteri Heroici) and Doctor Mahoney (Villainus), a fight for the life of Fred Jones, happening in the front hallway of the bank that held much of SunSet Residents lives. The frying pan has the imprint of Dean's face in it. Metal clangs. Birds sing. 

"Give up!?" Mahoney exclaimed. "I've been dealing with this crazy for _months. _And you, the idiot you are, bring a gun to a gag fight." 

"Yeah well, I did bring this." Unknown to him, Cleopatra had moved to the top of the main room in the bank to secure the anvil and release it upon Deans cue. "And X marks the spot." 

Both men narrowly rolled out of the way just as the anvil collided with the floor. Just as they collected their bearings, Doctor Mahoney ran towards the wall and yelped as he collided with a solid foundation instead of the portal that would've lead him back outside. 

"Well, look at that. Looks like someone turned off the boob tube." 

"Good," He replied as he pulled the gun from the waist of his pants. "Means I can use this-" 

"_NO!" _Dean and The Doctor turned towards the sound of the voice - which belonged to Fred who had been dragged out of his dream world by Sam's words and desperation - who pointed his finger back at him. "You are not going to hurt anyone ever again!'' 

The four of them watched Doctor Mahoney's arm move of its own accord, turning the pistol back on himself before he pulled the trigger and his body fell to the floor. 

Fred turned his eyes away. 

"Well, that's all folks." 

*** 

"What you did for Fred was sweet, Cas." Cleopatra murmured as they leaned together against the windowsill. Dean and Sam had left less then ten minutes ago after they agreed to stay for the rest of the day just to ensure that Fred was alright. "He's at peace now. You're the one who did that." 

"_Hello Castiel." Naomi smiled as the angel met her gaze. "And no." _

_"No?" He asked. _

_"I can see what you're thinking and I won't allow it." _

_"You don't understand." He replied. "I've been trying to pretend that I can escape what I did in Heaven. What my soulmate did in MY name AGAINST Heaven. I can't. She did her penance upon being in Purgatory... but all that pain I caused? I have to come back to make things right!" _

_"And you are, by doing what you're told." There's one thing you should know about Naomi: She's good at manipulation, and she's good at being apathetic. That's the difference between the other angels and Castiel. His heart bleeds for humanity. Theirs bleeds for the father who left them. "Bottom line, unless I ring my bell, you stay out of Heaven." _

_She recognized that look even if she had never felt it herself. Defeat. "Well then, what should I do?" He asked. _

_"What do you want to do?" _

"Cas?" Gentle fingers skimmed over the day old stubble that lined his jaw as Cleopatra tilted her head to look at him. "_My angel.. _where did you go?" 

"I'm here." He whispered. "I'm always here." 

But something deep within Cleopatra - that thing that had often reappeared since he'd worked with Crowley - whispered _he's not here, he's not yours, something has him in their grasps and they're going to take him from you again. _

She smiled and pushed it down. Down far enough that it didn't warrant her concern. Not for the moment. 

Her first mistake. 


	64. Samandriel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's only been a handful of times where she has been properly terrified of the man she loves with her entire being. 
> 
> This is one of them.

The tension between the Winchester brothers has been growing for quite some time. After Sam realized that the person she and Dean were speaking to when he wasn't around was a vampire that they'd rescued from Purgatory, he'd been... well... _angry. _Angry that his best friend and his brother were bestowing more trust in the very thing they hunted rather then their _brother. _

"Are you two going to make up like good little girls?" Cleopatra asked as she turned to face the older brother from where he sat in the car. They were just outside of Sam's motel room in Kermit after he'd fled from them to meet with Amelia. "Cause I'm tired of this. You're my _brothers. _Start acting like adults!" 

Dean exhaled slowly through his nose and opened the car door, proceeding to slam it before he walked up to the motel door. Cleopatra didn't dare breathe. She was tired of being the mediator for their pointless arguments. Tired of losing every battle. This wasn't a hill she planned to die on. 

Before Sam could shut the door, he poked his head out. 

"Are you coming inside, woman?" 

"Call me woman again and I'll slam you against the wall so hard you'll see stars." She called out as she crossed her arms behind her head. "Go work out your little problems, Sammy." 

While Dean and Sam argued behind closed doors, she prayed. 

**_Castiel... angel. _**She breathed. **_I don't know where you are or what you're doing, but I hope you're safe. _**

From where he stood with his fingers poised over the baby's abdomen in the park, Castiel tilted his head and allowed himself to bask in the comfort of that familiarly soothing voice in the back of his mind. The one that had eased his fears, abated his aches, had taken his pain away. 

**_Flower.. _**He whispered. **_Be well. i love you. _**

Castiel didn't know that'd be the last time either of them said those words for quite some time after that. 

*** 

Dean grunted as he adjusted Cleopatra's sleeping form in his arms before slowly maneuvering through the door as to not hit her head off the wood paneling on either side of it and gently laid her on the sofa before taking a seat himself. He was tired, and justly so. 

It was barely an hour later when Castiel suddenly appeared from thin air and begged for their assistance in finding Samandriel, the angel that they had encountered at the auction that had taken Kevin from them. According to the angel, Samandriel had been kidnapped by Crowley who was intending to extract some very vital information that he refused to disclose. 

Dean saw it first from the corner of his eye: Despite the lack of really _any _kind of emotive response in his expression as he caught sight of the sleeping Nephilim on the sofa, Castiel still moved away from where he sat at the laptop and brushed hair away from her face to press a kiss to her brow. 

"_Mmmm.. Angel._" Cleopatra murmured as she raised her head to peer at him through bleary eyes. "You're home." 

"Yes. I am home." 

He didn't know whether or not that home was the literal four walls they were ensconced in or the two open arms that enveloped him when she finally stood to her feet. It didn't matter. 

***

"We'll just start at the bush and work our way out." 

After following the absurd event of the man who was eerily reminiscent of Moses and the burning bush - which according to Castiel turned out to be Samandriel manifesting his presence _through _the bush and speaking the Enochian word for obey - the three of them began searching in the places they believed Crowley would be hiding.. desolate warehouses swarming with demons. 

"Well, would you look at that." Dean remarked as he pulled the car to a stop in front of the fence. "Our _ninth _abandoned factory, ain't that America? Say if this doesn't pan out, why don't we head back to that beer and bacon happy hour about a mile back, huh?" 

"Wait." The two of them leaned forward in sync to peer out the front windshield. "Those derelicts, they're demons. I can see their true faces." 

Dean reached into the gap between him and Cleopatra and pulled out the binoculars to peer through them at the men who inhabited the front of the warehouse. "If Crowley has that many hell monkeys outside, he's gotta have at _least _double inside." He replied. 

"And angel warding. I can feel it." 

"Well you, me, the demon knife and a fully powered Nephilim aren't going to cut it." Dean said. 

"Okay," Cleopatra interjected, pressing her hands against both their arms to push them further away from her. "_I'll _get Sam. Yeah, cool? Okay-"

Dean's hand shot out and enveloped her wrist to halt her departure. "_No._" He snapped. "We don't need Sam! If Sam wanted in, he'd be here. Okay?" He turned his eyes back toward the windshield and narrowed them. "I've got a better idea." 

His _better idea _led them to Garth's houseboat in Warsaw where Kevin Tran had been working on decrypting his half of the demon tablet for _months _by that point. The poor boy looked as if he hadn't had a good night sleep since he was a child. 

"Slow read?" 

"The slowest." Kevin tossed over his shoulder. "Garth might be out on a supply run but I don't know. I've sort of lost track of when he comes and goes." He paused and turned around to face the three of them, mildly annoyed that they'd invaded his privacy and the silence that had settled with it. "Do you guys need something? I'm working here." 

"You look horrible." Castiel remarked. 

"Yeah." Kevin said flatly. "Thanks." 

"He's right. Are you okay, Kevin?" 

"I'm fine. I'm just... in the middle of this." 

Cleopatra frowned as she pressed her hands against Castiel's arms and moved around him so she could kneel in front of the table where Kevin sat. When he'd been struck and became a Prophet of the Living Word, he'd barely been older then she was when John and Dean had taken her father and Reagan out onto the hunt that had killed them and changed their life forever. 

_good people should be spared of pain. _

Unfortunately, that was not how the world worked. 

Castiel departed to obtain the ingredients needed for the bombs Kevin and his mother had used to rid themselves of demonic pests and left Cleopatra and Dean anxiously waiting from within the confines of Garth's houseboat. Kevin almost didn't seem fazed by their presence there. 

Not until she touched him.

While Dean took his phone call with what she assumed was Benny, Cleopatra knelt in front of Kevin and rested her fingertips against his inner forearm so she could filter her grace through her touch and into him in hopes it would rejuvenate his depleting energy and will-power. 

"_Cleo_-" 

"_Sh, Kevin_." She whispered. "_Let someone else help you for once." _

*** 

Sam nearly jumped out of his skin when Castiel appeared at his side in a moment's notice, elbows pressed against his knees and forlorn azure irises surveying the crowd of people in front of him. "Watching humanity, it never gets old... does it?" 

The pair turned around at the familiar entrance of fluttering wings. 

"I got what we need." 

When Kevin lifted his head, the bags under his eyes were considerably lighter. Cleopatra considered that a start. "Well it's about time-" Dean began, clipping his sentence when he realized Castiel had returned with the ingredients _and _the unwelcome presence of his younger brother. "What's he doing here?" 

"Don't worry, Dean. Once we save Alfie, I'm out." 

"Oh, _we? _Once _we _save Alfie, we can do it ourselves. Don't hurt yourself, Sam. 'Patra, Cas and I can handle it." 

"Not according to Cas you can't!" Sam exclaimed. 

Cleopatra rolled her eyes so hard that Kevin could see the whites of them. "You two are _infuriating._" She said, snapping her fingers to halt whatever sharp words the brother had for the other. "I don't often use my powers on you but if you don't stop _bickering _like little girls I'm going to do more then render you silent. Capiche?" 

Both the Winchesters nodded and breathed a sigh of relief as she snapped her fingers again and gave them back their voices. 

"That was mean." Dean whined. "I told you we don't need him!" 

"Yeah, well," Cleopatra commented as she leaned into Castiel and wrapped her arm around his waist underneath the fabric of his trench-coat. "They don't call me Heaven's Abomination for nothing, Dean'O." 

"And to add to that," Castiel interjected. "We need _everything. _I need both of you, as you say, to stow your crap. Can you do that?" 

Dean had never looked more proud of the angel then he did in that moment. 

*** 

"So there are four main points of warding. North, South, East, and West. Cleopatra isn't affected by the warding because it's not meant for Nephilims so her presence in there should aid your efforts greatly. There are also four Enochian symbols that you need to destroy, like this," Castiel picked up Cleopatra's hand and drew the symbol on her palm before pressing the ghost of a kiss thereupon. "You'll need to destroy these before I can enter." 

Cleopatra shifted underneath the worn leather that adorned her shoulders. Something about this did not sit right with her. 

"Okay what, so we go in and take care of the hell mooks and you extract the angel?" Dean asked. 

''Yes." Cas said. "After killing so many, I need to save at least this one." 

The brothers eyes softened as Cleopatra raked her fingers through the unruly chestnut locks that hung at his temple, drawing his attention back to her so she could capture his lips in a very chaste kiss. "You will." She whispered against the seam of his mouth, desperately trying to veil her sudden urge of _desire _that flooded her bloodstream at the proximity of their bodies. Her wings unfolded and lifted themselves to envelop the angel in their warmth if only for a moment. A moment is enough. "I believe in you." 

_Maybe you shouldn't. _

_Oh... but I do. _

"Sounds like a plan." 

Dean removed the demon blade from his person as Cleopatra reached down and unhooked the angel blade nestled against her thigh. "Okay," Dean said. "Let's do this." 

"Wait-'' Castiel extended his hand to rest it against Sam's arm as he handed the younger brother his own blade. "This doesn't just work against angels. It kills demons too." 

Sam feigned a smile. "Thanks Cas." 

Cleopatra followed on the brothers heels deep into the darkness of the factory, gold eyes penetrating the shadows as she quietly followed Sam and Dean's footsteps to the side door that would lead them inside. It wasn't often warranted that she step in to help them unless the need called for it. 

"Are you still with us, 'Patra?" 

"You two would fail miserably without me." Dean shivered as those cold gold eyes met his through the dark while Sam painted over the first of the four Enochian sigils keeping Castiel from entering. "And besides.. I make hunting fun. I get to slam people into things!" 

They continued on in their venture of finding Samandriel. Dean and Sam ventured together to erase the Enochian sigils while Cleopatra followed the sound of Samandriel's screams to the barred doorway from where they resounded. 

The last sigil was there. She lifted her blade and dragged it across the edges before reaching for the spare can of spray paint tucked in her waistband. "Stupid, stupid demons." She muttered. "Annoying, _obnoxious demons. _Why can't you just crawl back into the darkest part of Hell and never reemerge?" 

"Cause we're _much _more fun up here, darling." 

Cleopatra snorted and snapped her fingers. The demon turned to dust in seconds only for the ash to be swept away by the soles of Dean and Sam's feet as they ran down the hall toward her. "I'm sorry?" She called out. "Did you say something?" 

"You've already got the sigil-" Dean noted. "Alright, any time now Cas!" 

Cleopatra barely had enough time to react before the bulk of the angel's vessel was falling right into her arms and nearly sent them both to the floor. "Cas?" Cleopatra asked. She took his face in her hand and rested the other against his chest. His heart was _racing. _"Angel, what's going on? What's wrong?" 

"It must be the sigils." Castiel rasped. "I'm not at full power." 

"Sam, help me muss this crud!" 

"No, _wait- _There's no time! Samandriel won't last much longer." 

"Cas, here." Sam gently closed the angels fingers around the hilt of his angel blade. "Take this." 

While the brothers worked at getting the door opened, casually yelling to the Nephilim for assistance over their shoulder, Cleopatra peered at Castiel in confusion as she tried to comprehend just exactly what it was that was occurring in him. 

_Cas. _She frowned at the impenetrable mental walls erected around his mind. _Let me in. _

That's the problem. He can't. 

"I'm sorry, Castiel." Cleopatra murmured. Setting her angel blade on the ground, the Nephilim took a deep breath and pressed her palms _hard _against his temples before she unleashed her full ability on the walls Naomi had forged around his brain with the reconditioning he'd been subjected to since returning to Heaven. Reconditioning that.. in the end-

"_Cleopatra! We need YOU!" _

She couldn't see anything other then white. Bright, _bright _white that blurred around the edges to reveal the image of a drill. A drill, scarlet red... and azure eyes that have haunted her memory. 

"CLEOPATRA!" 

The Nephilim whipped around, eyes flaring as she snapped her fingers and busted the door off of its hinges. Sam and Dean rushed into the room without a second thought as she helped the angel to his feet and lingered behind him while he entered the room to aid Samandriel in escaping. 

_You only think everything is alright. You think you're safe, you think he's okay.. but in a moments notice, everything is going to change. _

"WAIT! Wait-I know things!" 

Cleopatra snapped her wrist in the direction of the angel. "Cas," She and Dean yelled in unison. "_Go!_" 

Sam noticed it before his brother did. Through the corner of his eye, he watched his best friend pause in her place and survey the bodies they'd left in their wake before turning her attention back to the chair where Samandriel had been bound only a moment before. 

_You are going to be afraid of him now. _

"Cleopatra," Sam called out softly in hopes to catch her attention quicker. "Go get him." 

_And how does the very being that's feared by all divinity fear that in which she claims to love? _

Sam and Dean heard the petrified scream from _inside _the warehouse. The brothers looked at one another and took off through the door and back through the halls they'd entered to where they'd parked the Impala.

Cleopatra had collapsed to her knees less then five feet away from the angel, expression contorted in fear as tears ran freely from her eyes. Dean had seen much in his life. He'd _been _through alot.. but none of that compared to the way his Nephilim was looking at her soulmate. 

Pure, abject terror. 

She hadn't even looked like that when she'd lost him. 

"_What did I just do?" _

_"You killed a traitor." Naomi spat. _

_"Samandriel-" Castiel swallowed the bile rising in his throat as those haunted gold eyes flashed behind his eyelids. "Samandriel was GOOD. I was trying to atone-" _

"Get-Get him AWAY from me!" Cleopatra snapped, scrambling to her feet as the Seraphim turned around to face the trio. Sam enveloped the Nephilim in his arms without another moment's hesitation before Dean took a step in front of her, ever the protective. "That's not Castiel!" 

"What do you mean-''

"_Samandriel was broken." Naomi replied. "He revealed the existence of what I would die to protect. What any of us would die to protect." Castiel narrowed his eyes in confusion. This was wrong. This was so wrong. "The angel tablet, Castiel. Crowley knows." _

_"I just murdered our own and petrified my soulmate to protect a tablet?" He muttered, pressing his hands against his temples as a piercing headache thrummed at the base of his skull. "She's never going to look at me the same way ever again." _

_"That's for the best. Cleopatra has been a nuisance and a threat since she came into the world. This isn't about her." Naomi stood to her feet and rounded the desk to stand in front of him. "If the demon tablet can seal the demons in hell, what do you think the angel tablet can do to us? You're a HERO, Castiel." _

Sam ran his hand over her head as he sank to his knees and pulled the older woman into his arms, allowing her to bury her face in his neck. 

He couldn't hear anything but the whisper of the mantra she'd been repeating. 

"He's a monster. He's a monster. He's a monster. He's a monster." 

_"You've done Heaven a great service." Naomi commended. Guilt flooded the Seraphim as he lifted his eyes to meet hers. It had taken a betrayal and a death for him to nearly lose Cleopatra, and now... It seemed like everything he did was just pulling at the already broken seams of a torn and frayed relationship. _

_"That's what I tell Sam and Dean? That's what I tell Cleopatra?" He asked. _

"Cas-What _happened?!_" 

"_You tell the Winchesters that Samandriel had been compromised." _

The first thing Dean noticed was the lack of _any _kind of emotion in the angel's usually expressive eyes. "Samandriel was compromised." 

His tone was monotonous. That was the second red flag. 

"_He came at you and you acted in self defense." _

"He came at me and I acted in self defense." 

This was a _brother _he had just slaughtered in front of the woman he claimed to love. The woman who'd go to the ends of the _Earth _to keep him safe, the one who had mourned him and the one who had _healed _him and the one who had taught him about human emotion and that embracing those feelings he'd been subduing was okay. 

This was how it felt to be Castiel. 

You are very, very alone. And very very afraid. 

"_Say you must return his body to Heaven and then bring him to me." _

Both the brothers looked at the angel in alarm. "Cas," Dean said slowly. "Are you okay?" 

Castiel lifted his knuckles to his face and slowly wiped downward, drowning as they came away scarlet. "My vessel must have been damaged in the melee," He replied. "I have to go. Samandriel's remains belong in Heaven." 

"_I need to see just how far Crowley dug into him." _

"YOU LIAR!" Cleopatra snarled. Dean and Sam barely had time to react as a _furious _Nephilim launched herself from the ground where Sam had left her to practically claw the angels eyes out, thrashing in the brothers grasps as her wings furiously snapped outward to push him away from her. "Whatever she did to you-" 

"_Do you understand_?" 

_"_SHE WILL BURN FOR IT!" 

"_Yes, I understand." _

"Thank you both, for everything you've done." Castiel said, and before either brother could stop him, he departed without another word and with Samandriel's remains. 

The brothers looked to one another before they turned to the woman who'd gone limp between them. "Get her to the car, Sam." Dean murmured. He stepped forward and cradled her face in his hands, brushing hair away to look at her eyes properly. "Are you going to tell me what happened? That was some... anger I felt rolling off of you. I'm serious. I _felt _it." 

"I came out here to get him and watched him kill Samandriel, Dean. That's what happened." She spat. "And when I tried to get inside of his head to calm him down as I have _always _done, it was boarded up. Sealed. I saw someone-" Cleopatra stiffened in Sam's embrace as that _stupid _drill and the sound of his screams - terrified and so very alone - echoed in her head. "Hurting him. Someone in Heaven. It's not him, he's being _controlled. _I can feel it." 

_He's a monster he's a monster he's a monster... but he's my monster_

_and rationality be damned.. i still love him _

_***_

_"I told you something was off about him since we got back from Purgatory!" _

She downed one. Then another. Then _another. _Nothing was working to numb the dread curling in her veins. 

"So you think someone is messing with him or something? Angels? Cleopatra did say she saw flashes of Heaven." Sam informed. "She'd known. She's been there." 

"Even if she's right, which is totally possible, why would the angels have him kill another angel?!" Dean exclaimed. Sam threw his hands up exasperatedly and sighed. "You know what man.. I've got this. You can go." 

Cleopatra peered down at her feet. _Six cans of beer. _She hated beer. Why was nothing working? 

"What?" 

"Don't you have a girl to get back to?" 

Realization crossed over the younger brother's face. "Yeah," He replied sheepishly, rubbing his hand over the back of his neck. "Um... since when are you on the Amelia bandwagon?" 

There was alot of words left unsaid lingering in Dean's gaze as he looked back at Sam. This might have been the woman he'd left the life for, the one who'd taken all his attention when he _should've _been looking for him and Cleopatra, but Dean couldn't fault him for falling in love. Sam always did have the bigger heart. 

"I don't know. I'm just tired of all the fighting. I want _one _of us to get a happy ending." Dean said. "And you know, maybe I'm a bit jealous. I could never separate myself from the job like you could. It's time for one of us to be happy." He nudged his head towards the Nephilim on the stair with a dozen empty beer cans at her feet, eyes narrowed in annoyance. ''She keeps getting the short straw." 

"I've seen you get drunk after _four _beers. Why did _twelve _do nothing?" Cleopatra moaned. 

"You're an angel. You don't get drunk." Sam informed. "It took an entire liquor store to make Castiel drunk. You have the same problem." 

"_Screw _my angelic powers, and _screw _Heaven!" Cleopatra yelled as she wagged her finger at the ceiling. "I'm glad I killed half of your _stupid _kind!" The Nephilim stood to her feet and slowly ambled towards Sam. "I _know _how you fall in love. I know your heart. I know you." 

"She makes me happy, you're right." Sam smiled softly as he gripped her upper arms in his hands to keep her steady and pressed her head against his chest. She hummed in contentment. "And she could be waiting for me right now if I went back. I'd be a very lucky man if she was." 

"You deserve a soft epilogue." She whispered. "If any one of us deserves a tender ending.. It's you." 

"Thank you sweetheart." Sam brushed a hand over her hair and sighed. "But now, with everything that's left to be done.. I don't know." 

"Huh." 

"Yeah." 

"Well, I do know this." Dean said as he approached the pair in front of him, bottle loosely hanging from his fingertips. "Whatever you decide..... decide. Both feet in or both feet out. Anything in between is what get you dead." 

"Yeah, I keep hearing that." Sam paused as he gently released the girl to the safety of his elder brothers arms. "I'm gonna take a walk. Clear my head." 

Cleopatra shook her head at Dean and leaned outward to grab Sam's shirt sleeve. "No," She argued. "Let me come with you. I need some air. I need to _breathe." _

Sam nodded and took her hand, flexing his fingers in the dips of her own as she followed him outside into the clear afternoon air. The minute that they were far out of the range of the house, Sam let her hand go and she screamed. 

He did nothing to silence her. 


	65. Lebanon, Kansas

"_This might be the coolest thing I've ever seen." _

_"Yeah? You wanna know what's better?" Dean beamed at her like a child on Christmas morning. "We get our own ROOMS! And it's got memory foam!" _

Cleopatra smiled as she aligned the family photo that Gabriel had taken of the Carters years previously against the corner of her desk with her hunting journal neatly angled beside it. They had only been residing in The Bunker for the last few days and she had made several round trips with the _many _cars that the garage housed, claiming that after decades worth of abandonment they need to be broken in. 

It really just gave her an excuse to feel like she was flying. 

After a _long _conversation with her mother over a brewed cup of tea about all that had aspired in her long absence, Cleopatra finally felt _light. _Coming to terms with whatever was going on with Castiel had been remarkably difficult. It wasn't because she'd seen him murder someone. It was the fact she'd seen him murder his _kin - _the one who he'd worked so desperately to save - with absolutely zero remorse. 

The thought of that blade and the bright blue light that followed it made her stomach turn. 

On the other end, her room at the Bunker did feel alot more like a _home. _Her angel wing pendant with Castiel's grace sat idle on the shelf above the headboard of the king bed, a gift that Sam and Dean had allowed her to take because she valued her sleep when it came easily to her. 

"Cleopatra, you _gotta _try this burger-" Dean's eyes widened as he stepped into her room and surveyed all the work she'd done in hanging pictures on the walls and personalizing the room to really make it her own. "Wow." 

"Eye me any harder and you'll be swooning, Winchester." She mused, taking the plate from his hands before sitting on the edge of the bed. "What's wrong? You've got that face on." 

"Since when do I have a _face_?" 

"It's all the time. It's the _something is seriously wrong and I don't particularly want to dwell on it right now _face."

Dean pursed his lips as he sat in the open space beside her while she devoured the burger he'd made in the kitchen less then half an hour beforehand. "Kevin called. It sounded urgent. Sam and I are gonna be on our way to Garth's houseboat shortly.. wanted to see if you'd tag along." 

"If it's just a housecall, you don't _need _me for a house call. Besides, I wanna do some training." Cleopatra wiggled her fingers. "Can't _always _rely on my powers, y'know. I eyed the gun range when I came back from Topeka. Could be useful." 

Dean nodded and stood to his feet. "Alright, well.. be responsible." He chided. "And clean your gun. You barely use it." 

"_Yes Mom." _

So that was how she found herself rigging a speaker system in the gun range as she cleaned her weapon - which Dean was right, she did barely use it - and quietly humming under her breath as she pondered all that had happened recently. Coming to The Bunker had been the first real home Cleopatra had been in since her father and brother had died, and it was _safe. _The entire building was warded. They had every occult book known to men, almost every ingredient for spells, and more weapons then they knew what to do with. 

She peered over at her phone in the midst of reassembling her gun to see that Sam had sent her a check in message. 

** _Sammy: Check-In text. Wish you'd come with us because I'm about ready to murder Dean. Kevin told us how to close the gates of Hell. It's three Trials. Boom. _ **

Boom. Holy crap. 

After all the time and effort and _blood _that the Winchester brothers had poured into hunting Azazel, seeking revenge for their mothers death, losing their father to Hell, losing each _other _to Hell.. this would be a well deserved means of closure for them both. 

** _'Patra: It's about time you guys get a win. Let me know what happens. _ **

** _Sammy: We will. _ **

Cleopatra stood to her feet and reloaded the clip on her handgun with the bullets she'd snagged from the Impala before the boys left, loading the chamber before she took up her stance and fired at the target further down on the range. 

Bang. Bang. Bang. 

She winced as she eyed her mark. Not dead on as it should be.. but a definite start. 

***

_'Patra. _

She shot up in a cold sweat for the _second _day in a row as she blindly grasped for her phone in the darkness of her bedroom. Dean and Sam had called just before she went to sleep to tell her about what they'd discovered on their case with the rich family they were currently working for.

_We've been down roads like this before. Yellow Eyes, Lucifer, Dick frigging Roman. We both know where this ends. One of us dies.. or worse. _

It had been a _long _time since she'd felt so acutely tuned into Sam's emotions, but whatever Dean was saying at the given moment must've really rattled him if it had woken her from her sleep. 

_And I refuse to let that be Cleopatra. _

_So what?! You just up and decided it's gonna be you? The two of us don't get a choice?!_

_I'm a grunt, Sam. You're not. You have always been the brains of this operation, and Cleopatra has been through far too much suffering to be the one to sacrifice herself for me._

Tears burned her eyes as she buried her head between her knees. Cleopatra wondered how long it would take for Dean to see himself the way she had seen him for the last several years they'd been living together. Since they'd become their own kind of family. 

_You told me yourself that you see a way out. You see a way out of this ugly tunnel, and I don't! I refuse to not be there on Cleopatra's wedding day because she frigging deserves it! I'm gonna be there to drink myself away when she dances on the floor with Cas.. and I'm gonna thrive knowing I was one of the few who helped get her there. But for me? There's no end of the tunnel. I'll tell you what I do know.. and it's that I'm gonna die with a gun in my hand._ _That's what I have waiting for me. That's ALL I have waiting for me. _

It suddenly felt too cold. Too lonely.

Too empty without the angel who so often clung to her side. Gods.. did she miss him. 

_I want you and 'Patra to get out. I want you both to have a life. I want to be an uncle, I want to watch a baby angel fly around the bunker away from its mother because watching Cas be a dad would be hilarious. You with your wife and kids and grandkids, living until you're fat and bald and chugging Viagra. That's MY happy ending. And it's the only one I'm going to get. _

Enough was enough. 

Cleopatra stood to her feet and hastily changed out of her pajamas, pulled her hair into a ponytail, and grabbed her glasses dipped in holy oil before she flew to the ranch where Dean and Sam were currently hunting down a hellhound. 

*** 

By the time she arrived, Cleopatra was three seconds away from being run over by a giant tree sprinting across the driveway. 

"_CLEOPATRA?!" _

The Nephilim tilted her head as she flashed her eyes in the dark, fingers wound around the hilt of her angel blade as Sam grabbed the eldest daughter and took her into his grasps. She could just barely see the Hellhound who had killed Carl and Margie on the outskirts of the treeline that surrounded the ranch. 

"I came looking for Dean and found a giant tree in trouble," She called over her shoulder. "I felt your pain after what he said to you.. and I always come when you're hurting, Sammy." 

He didn't seem interested in how she was trying to protect _him _when someone needed to protect _Dean. _

"Dean's on his own out there, and I don't know where he is," He replied urgently. "I'll find you soon, _I promise_\- but please go find Dean!" 

She ran off into the night without so much as another word. 

*** 

Dean was in the barn when she found him facing off with the Hellhound. And by facing off, I mean being tossed around by the invisible dog. 

"Ah, it's been a time since I was a part of a good dog fight," Dean's blood ran cold at the familiar female voice. "_Here! Here doggy, time to play pin the tail on the prick!_" 

A bright light shone in the room as Cleopatra straightened her spine - wings clearly outlined against the doorway - and removed her blade from its sheath as the hellhound reared its legs and charged her. A _snap _of her wings sent the beast flying back against a stack of hay bales and sprawling across the floor. 

"What are you _doing?!_" He exclaimed. "You're not supposed to be here! This is not your fight!" 

"No," She said. "It's his." 

Dean gasped as one shotgun blast went off, followed by another, and he was too paralyzed to move as he watched the hound jump at Sam who'd barely retrieved the demon blade before he was holding the creature by its scruff and dragging the knife from throat to belly. 

Cleopatra dropped down beside the elder Winchester and tore through his shirt with ease, grimacing as she peered down at the claw marks that had been inflicted on his side. "Tell me you love me and I'm pretty." She whispered to keep his attention as she pinched the skin with her thumb and index finger. 

"I love you," Dean breathed a sigh of relief as her palms shone and the pain gradually began to fade. "And you're pretty. _Very _pretty. Cas doesn't know what he's missing." 

"You're right. He doesn't." 

Dean took her hand in his own as the ranchhand led them back into her bedroom to talk about what had happened. After explaining that they would do whatever it took to keep Crowley from finding her, Dean politely asked for her to excuse them so he could speak to Sam about his stunt. 

"Dean, you know whatever we do, Ellie's soul is earmarked for Hell as soon as she dies." Sam informed. 

"Not if we shut it down first." He remarked. 

"The spell isn't going to work for you, Dean." The two of them watched side by side as Dean repeated the Latin incantation that had been given to them by Crowley only for nothing to happen upon finishing it. Sam was right. He'd completed the Trial. He'd be the one who had to speak the spell. 

"It doesn't matter. We'll track down another Hellhound, 'Patra _won't _distract me, and _I'll _be the one killing it." Dean said. 

"No."

"_Sam-_I didn't pass the test!" 

"No, but I did. I'm doing the rest of them." Cleopatra held a hand up from where she was leaning against the dresser to silence Dean's snide remark as Sam approached his brother. "Closing the gates? It's a suicide mission for you. I wanna survive it. I wanna _live. _So should you." 

"Sam-" 

"I heard every word you said to him about this, Dean. I'm tied into Sam's pain." Cleopatra interjected as she stuck her hands in her pockets and moved to approach him. "Doesn't happen often much since we got back from Purgatory, but I felt it this time. My heart aches for you." Wide, soft blue-green eyes lifted to meet his own. "You have friends here. Family. _Me. Him. _You've got your own room now!" She laughed softly to herself before continuing. "You're right about one thing. I do deserve a happy ending. Does it mean I'll get it? No. With my luck, I'm gonna get the opposite, but for now.. I see a happy ending. So does Sam. I know it in my heart of hearts. I'm sorry you don't." His expression contorted into something she couldn't quite name as she cupped his chin with her hand and rested her thumb in the divot of his bottom lip. "It's there. If you come with us both.. we can take you to it." 

"Cleopatra," Dean said lowly. "Be smarter then this." 

"I am smart." She said. "I have to be with you two around constantly pulling reckless, impulsive stunts like this. You're both two of the smartest people I've _ever _met. You're not a grunt. You're not worthless, Dean- You are a _genius _and I _love _you. You're my brother. Do you hear me?" Cleopatra said more firmly, taking the other side of his face in her hand as she stood on her tiptoes to meet him. "_Brother. _You are my _brother_ and after losing one, I cannot afford to lose another one. Best hunter, best brother.. and you wanna know the best part?" 

Sam smiled as his hands snaked around her waist. It wasn't often that Dean responded to reverence with touch.. but Cleopatra had a knack for bringing things out of Dean that Sam so rarely saw. "Hm?" 

"I believe in you." She whispered. "Sammy and I believe in you. But right now.. right now, he needs you to believe in him too." 

Cleopatra pried herself away from the familiarity of the warm form beneath her hands just to look into the greens of his eyes and await his response. Resignation flickered across his face as he kept a solid hand on her waist, using the other to slap the spell into Sam's waiting hand. 

Sam breathed a sigh of relief as Dean turned his best girl around in his embrace and buried his face in her shoulder. She didn't need to hear his verbal response when it resounded so clearly in his mind. _Thank you, my best girl. _

She smiled - which died shortly after when Sam started grunting - before replying _you're welcome, best man. _Two pairs of eyes snapped to the youngest Winchester as his arm began glowing a strange shade of red and illuminated the veins thrumming with his blood.

"Sam?! Sammy!" Dean exclaimed. Cleopatra rested her hand on his chest to stop him from moving forward as the light flickered out and died. 

"I'm okay." Sam rasped, flexing his fingers as he did so. "I can do this. I'm okay." 

***

"You said you _heard _me?" 

It was nearly the middle of the night on the way back to the bunker when Dean finally decided to speak up. Sam had crammed himself into the back seat upon her request at the last stop because she was adamant on speaking to Dean; Mostly so he could sleep, but because there needed to be some privacy for this conversation. 

"I did hear you. Not every conversation is worth listening to." She said softly. Turning her weight to lean against the door, Cleopatra propped her elbow against the top of the seat and pressed her chin against her hand as she looked at Dean. "Tell me, Dean. Your Heaven. What was it?" 

He frowned. What did that have to do with anything? 

"It was me, as a kid, with Sammy and Mom." He replied. 

"Ah. The prime time of your life. Perfect Momma, perfect brother, perfect _life. _That's the time you were loved the most before Azazel took your mother from you." The air was punched _right _from his lungs, but she made no move to stop talking. "You've spent so much of your life trying to be the epitome of everything your father _beat _into you. You were mom. You were dad. You were always taking care of _others _and no one was taking care of _you._" Cleopatra reached across the gap and took his hand in her own, eyes softening as she kissed the cracked ridges of his knuckles. Had he not been driving, Dean was sure he would've melted from the small act of intimacy on the spot. "You've spent the last decade or so trying to keep yourself from drowning because of everything the world has thrown at you. You've done it _alone. _Stop it." 

He was silent for a minute, desperately trying to gain control of his breathing as the road became more difficult to see. 

"_How do I stop_?" 

"Let me help you." She pleaded. "Let me _in. _Stop acting like your life doesn't mean anything when it means the _world _to me and Sam!"

"Do you know what I want most in this world?" He asked. Cleopatra pursed her lips as she shook her head. Dean kept his gaze solely focused on the long stretch of road before them. "I want _you _to get what you want. Your heart wants _Cas. _Not the Cas you seem to be so afraid of.. but the baby in a trench coat who put everything on the line for you and me. I want to see you get what you want, 'Patra. I want to see you get out of the life. To see _Sammy _get out of the life. Neither of you were ever meant for this." 

"And who said you were?" 

Dean feigned a smile. "When my house burned and my mom with it," He said. "And then when my dad started putting his hands on Sammy, and I said _no_, so he put his hands on me instead. When I was molded into who _he _wanted me to be. Not who I wanted to be."

He didn't dare breathe when she scooted in so close he could smell her famous lavender perfume, feel the way the warmth emanated from her skin and practically pierced his blood. Cleopatra smiled softly as she laid her hand on his and rested her head against his shoulder. 

"Your father is not here." She whispered. "You are the sole person that chooses who you want to be. Who you want to _become. _No one else. Just you." 

Just him.


	66. Goodbye Stranger

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The trials continue and Castiel's struggle against Heaven's hold comes to fruition.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> italics are inside of castiel's mind / internal thoughts

_“Cas, you got your ears on? You take care of my little brother.”_

***

_Ruthless. Cunning. Cold._

_These are the attributes of the Heavenly Host._

_Naomi watches through the doorway as Castiel makes another entrance into the warehouse, angel blade in hand as he peers through the shadows in search of the Nephilim. She had clucked her tongue distastefully and forced him to run through this simulation until he stopped sobbing when Cleopatra fell dead at his hand - until he stopped mourning the woman who was supposed to be his mission - and it seemed her work was now cut out for her._

_ “No-No, Angel-Please!”_

_Few things could kill a Nephilim like this one. A specific spell, an enchanted angel blade.. It seemed to do the trick. She only hoped it would work for the real thing._

_The satisfying crack of a bone echoed in the room as bright, frightened eyes dimmed into darkness as Cleopatra Carter fell at his feet._

_Castiel didn’t move. He hardly breathed. He just.. stood there. Staring at the prone form of the woman who he had loved and killed so many times that he didn’t even feel her loss anymore. This is no longer Castiel, the angel who defied Heaven to safe humanity. This is the Angel of The Lord. He does not have the heart of his gentle counterpart._

_A shame, really, seeing as how that’s why she fell for him in the first place._

_ “No hesitation. Quick, brutal. Everything is back in order. Finally.. you’re ready.”_

_Hundreds upon hundreds of bodies line the warehouse floor._

He is ready.

And it is going to be brutal.For who.. though.. that’s to be determined.

***

“Yo, woman- did you hear anything I just said?”

She downed the rest of the bottle and snapped her fingers to make it disappear. This had been a recurring habit for the last several weeks since Castiel had terrified her out of her wits. “Sorry, no.” Cleopatra retorted. “I was too busy drowning in my misery.”

Her nightmares had gotten worse, her mornings were unbearable, and it didn’t help that Sam wasn’t faring much better due to the effects of the trials. Dean’s little makeshift family he held so dear to his heart was falling apart.

“We’re gonna get Cas back.” He said. “But one thing at a time. Can you, I don’t know, float me things so I can catalog them?”

“You hate cataloging.”

“Yeah but someone has to do it!”

Cleopatra snorted and stood to her feet as she moved across the library to join Dean. Given what her mother did for a living, it would’ve made sense for her to love history in the way Alexandria did… but that had always been the shared love of her and Reagan.

“Dean, I swear-“ Dean yelped as she flicked her wrist and sent the Asian Busty Beauties flying across the room. “Can you do anything normally?!”

Sam smiled at the laughter that echoed through the room as he picked her up and slung her over his shoulder. “It’s me, ‘Patra.” He mused. “I can’t do anything normally. Either way, that thing is practically mint! Do you have any idea what it would go for on Ebay?”

After discussing a string of deaths that had no logical reasoning behind them, the three piled into the Impala and took off for the first destination that Sam had marked on his phone.

When she dreamt, she dreamt of Castiel.

His hands. His smile. His kiss.. his eyes. Him. Who he had been when they’d met all those months ago in the park that changed her life forever.

The husband to the first victim provided a story that was about what she had expected for this case. A mark of possession. However, if this one was a demon, and all the deaths were the same-

“Does this seem right to you? Either of you? That entire story was just-“

“Weird.” Cleopatra interjected. She burrowed her brow as she leaned against the rear drivers side of the Impala and eyed the brothers. “Dean’s right.”

Dean’s eyebrows shot into his hairline out of pure astonishment that she agreed with him. “Wait-“ He threw both his hands out urgently. “I need to get this for the record-“

“It is weird. This kind of demonic behavior is not normal-and who kills demons this freely? Someone is on a mission.”

They drove to the next house. Sam ended his phone call to inform them of what he had been told - multiple strange instances that all had similar clues that led to connections of demonic possession between victims - and Cleopatra stopped in her tracks as she tried and failed to listen to him.

“You coming?”

“Something-“ She swallowed the knot in her throat and shifted uneasily. “Something is in there. Something.. _evil._”

The brothers eyed each other warily. “Keep watch inside. Go.. hide.” Sam said. “Just in case we need you.”

The woman who owned the house they entered explained to Dean and Sam about what Ann had been pursuing in her efforts to locate whatever she’d been digging to find.

“Ann’s assistant called this morning, asking if I still had the map.”

Dean shivered at the same time her blood ran cold. If Ann had an assistant, why would her husband not tell us that? Gold eyes flickered to life as they carefully swept across the room until they landed just on the door as the bell rang.

Three demons showed their eyes at the door. Their true faces writhed beneath their meat suits, mouths poised into eternal screams.

_Now._

A fierce cry broke the air as Cleopatra suddenly appeared against the far wall, throwing her hands outward and curling her fingers before slowly dragging them back to her hips. The nearest demon to her roared irritably as he struggled in her hold before he was impaled with the tip of an angel blade.

Gold burned into obsidian.

_“Suffer.”_

And so his light flickered out.

The little voice in her head sounded as she drew a deep breath and tried to recompose herself. _Flee_. Her brow furrowed in confusion. _Why?_

_Danger._

As if on cue, the ends of a tan trench coat swept the floor. Angry blue-green eyes followed it upward to the pair of blues staring back at her, and the lack of anything Castiel made her recoil because whoever this person was.. it wasn’t him.

“The other demon escaped. I bound the one I caught in a Devil’s Trap. I’m gonna interrogate it now.”

“Wait a second, Cas-“ Sam interjected. He had seen Cleopatra’s terror the night of Samandriel’s death and had spent many of his recently sleepless nights in her bed to ward off her own nightmares. He knew her heart, and Castiel was it. “Why don’t you answer some questions first? Like where have you been?”

Cleopatra didn’t dare breathe, let alone acknowledge him.

He terrified her.

“You heard me, didn’t you?”

The question snatched the air from her lungs. But that means..

Oh, Dean. _Oh._

“Did you pray to him?” Sam asked. Dean’s expression fell - almost as if he was ashamed to admit it - before Sam decided to put the subject away for later when they had time to talk in depth about it.

“Yes, I heard you. That’s not why I’m here.” Castiel said. He lifted his hand and stroked his chin as he pondered the best way to broach the subject. “I’ve been hunting demons.”

Realization flickered across Sam’s face. “So this is you?” He asked. “Why?”

_ “What should I tell them?”_

_Naomi frowned from where she sat on the other side of the desk. “The truth,” She replied. “Or most of it anyway. Maybe they have the ability to get us closer.”_

_Castiel shook his head. “Cleopatra is going to figure it out. She’ll never let them.”_

“I’ve been searching for the other half of the demon tablet.” He confessed.

“Without us?” Dean snapped.

“I’ve been trying to _help_, Dean! In my search I uncovered that Crowley has sent out demons to uncover Lucifer’s crypts. There are dozens of them.”

Unknown to the physical Castiel, Cleopatra was moving closer to him in order to ease the prying of his mind she was planning on doing. He’d always been open to her. Open and vulnerable and free for her to see, to sift through his heart and know his pain.

Whatever had happened to him after they’d parted in Purgatory had put up impenetrable walls.

Sometimes she can see through the cracks.

“Why the storage wars? What are they all looking for?”

_Castiel winced and lifted two fingers to his temple to ease the ache that was beginning to grow there. “It would help if they knew the truth,” He said. “Including Cleopatra.”_

_Naomi shook her head. “They cannot be trusted.” She said firmly._

_ “But-“_

_“Lie, Castiel. Tell them what we discussed.”_

He lifted his fingers to his temple again and softened at the whisper at his ear.

_ “Castiel…”_

_“Flower?”_

Cleopatra’s eyes snapped open as she took two solid steps away from the angel. There had been a large enough crack in the foundations of the walls around his mind for her to peer through - and she had seen, finally, after all the time apart - what was keeping her from him.

It was Heaven.

“They’re looking for a parchment that would allow them to decipher Crowley’s half of the demon tablet without the aid of a prophet.” Castiel said.

“Ah,” Dean snorted and shook his head. “A demonic decoder ring in Crowley’s hands! Awesome.”

“The crypts were lost over time. Only those closest to Lucifer knew their whereabouts.”

“Then how did Crowley find them?” Sam asked.

“His demons have been possessing locals who may have some kind of special knowledge,” Castiel explained as he folded his hands together in his lap. “I don’t know how they knew where to start looking, but I’m hoping the strange haired woman in the kitchen is more knowledgeable then the others I interrogated.”

He swept out of the room.

Cleopatra exhaled through her nose and braced her hands against the chair he had just been sitting in. “He’s being a prick.” She snapped. “I don’t know what’s going on, guys..” Her voice dropped to a whisper. “But that’s not Castiel. Something’s… happened to him. Since Purgatory.”

Dean threw his hands up exasperatedly. “Finally, someone gets it!” He exclaimed. “We still don’t know how he even got out of Purgatory!”

“I don’t know, Dean.” Sam interjected. “If you think he’s so sketchy, why were you praying to him?”

“Why wouldn’t he?” Cleopatra asked. “Up until he murdered Samandriel in front of my eyes.. I’d have done the same.”

Silence settled upon the three as Castiel’s voice rang out from the kitchen. “You know, I can hear all three of you.” He called out. “I am a celestial being.”

The trio shrugged and moved together to join the Seraphim in the kitchen. The woman who they’d been speaking to about Ann was now bound and sitting in the chair across from the angel. “Ah, Dean and Sam Winchester,” She jeered. “Oh, the thoughts she had about you two. Mostly you, Sam. What can I say? She has a thing for smutton chops.”

Cleopatra nestled herself between the brothers and closed her eyes. They were always ten degrees warmer then any room they stood in. “Alright, listen you douchebag-“ Dean snapped.

Before any of them could react, Castiel stabbed the demon directly through the hand.

_Well, that’s one way to do it._

Sam stiffened as her voice rang out clearly in his head - which was something they’d started doing after Castiel left for the second time - and asked, _Look at him and tell me what you see. _He lifted his eyes to regard the angel as he continued in his ruthless form of interrogating the demon about Lucifer’s crypts.

Sam Winchester has seen Castiel’s heart on display many times in the years of knowing him. This act that unfolds before his eyes reminds him far too much of how the angel was when they met. Ruthless, cold, calculating and uncaring - all trademark qualities for one of the heavenly host - and the thought made him uneasy.

_There’s no empathy, Sam. He’s not.. himself. Heaven did something to him._

His own question rang clearly in his mind.

_Yeah… but what?_

Cleopatra shook her head. She had no idea.

“Wait-_Wait! _Stop, we have a hostage!” She cried. “One of Crowley’s pets. She’s at the motel down by the interstate, knows where all the crypts are buried. Saw them all back in the day.”

That caught her attention.

“And she told you about the parchment?”

The demons face curled in confusion.

“What parchment?”

“Hey, hey!” Dean exclaimed. He brushed Cleopatra’s arm with his fingers as he moved away from the pair to approach the bound demon. “Do you think he’s the only bad cop in this room? Stop lying! We know what you’re really looking for.”

"No, I’m telling you, we’re looking for-“

_Naomi snapped to attention. She had come too far for the likes of a demonic bug to thwart her plans now._

_ "Kill it!”_

Cleopatra gasped as Castiel plunged his blade right through the possessed woman’s chest. This was wrong. This was _so _wrong- “Castiel!” She snarled, throwing her hand outward. The Seraphim stiffened at the vice like grip that enveloped his hand as it slammed against the table thrice before he was disarmed. “What on God’s Earth are you _doing-_“

“What was that?!” Sam exclaimed.

“It told us what we needed!”

“No, she didn’t! You can’t just-“

“I started this hunt without you because I didn’t want anything to slow me down,” Castiel said. “We have to get to the motel, _now.”_

_ “_Wait-“ Sam said urgently. “Hold on a second, _Cas!”_

Hazel eyes snapped over to meet her own. “Cleo,” Dean demanded. “_Go.”_

The Nephilim disappeared without another word.

_***_

Castiel glowered at the door as Cleopatra stood before him, arms crossed over her chest and gold eyes burning with anger. She’d entered the room just as he was eliminating the demonic entourage placed there to keep a watchful eye over the prisoner.

Turned out that same prisoner was the only demon she’d ever shown any kind of compassion towards.

“Cleopatra-“

“Don’t _speak _to me, you cretin.” She snapped. “You think I’m gonna let you anywhere near Meg, after what you did?” Castiel swallowed the knot in his throat as he tried, and failed, to alleviate the constricting pain in his chest at the venom laced within her words. “You’ve got another thing coming for you.”

Dean and Sam burst into the room.

“Thanks for waiting.” Sam remarked sarcastically.

“The hostage is in there,” Castiel replied, ushering with his head towards the door Cleopatra stood in front of. “She refuses to let me past.”

“And with good reason.” Dean muttered. The brothers both gently grazed her shoulders as they approached her, gazes softening as if to say _we’re here now, we got you _before Dean moved to open the door.

Meg smirked as she met three pairs of familiar eyes.

“Two stormtroopers and a princess.” She sighed. “It must be my lucky day.”

***

“_She’s gonna tell them the truth.” Castiel said. “Do I have to kill her?”_

_Naomi paused to consider her options. “She does know the location of the crypts,” She replied. “But working with a demon is… unclean.”_

_“We could use her as Crowley did.”_

_“Agreed.”_

_ “_Finding that angel tablet.”

Cleopatra’s nostrils flared as her eyes snapped over to the angel who hadn’t spoken in nearly three minutes and forty six seconds. _So that’s what he’s been hiding, hm? _“Wait a second,” Sam interjected. “Did you say angel tablet?!”

“You know I get why Crowley calls you Moose now!” Meg exclaimed. “Yes, angel tablet. Crowley found out Lucifer had it, figures it’s stashed in a crypt.”

“Cleopatra-“

Meg’s eyes snapped over to the angelic presences in the room as Castiel’s hand snapped upward to grasp the wrist of a _furious _Nephilim just before she could strike him across the face. “The _audacity _you have to hide that from _us _of all people,” She snarled, standing on her tiptoes to bring herself as humanly close to those blue eyes as she was able. “Why didn’t you say something, hm? Humor me. Give me an answer I’ll _believe.”_

_ “_The demons I interrogated must’ve been lying about their true intentions,” Castiel replied.

“Oh, really?” Dean retorted haughtily. “Because I saw you _zero dark thirty _that demon. You were more than persuasive.”

Castiel averted his gaze from both Cleopatra and Dean. He wasn’t sure what more he could say without giving away what was truly unfolding before them. If he had to look into the furious golds of the woman he loved - far more then she seemed to realize - it wouldn’t be long before something gave.

“You’re missing the point.” Meg’s voice drew them back to their situation as she continued. “I lied to them, which means they’re digging in the wrong place. Not for long though.. they’ll be back here soon.” Dark eyes moved between the three of them. “So who’s up for fleeing?”

“She’s right.” Sam said. “We need to find those crypts before they do. Meg?” The demon turned her head towards the younger Winchester and smiled. “You’re the only one who has been there.”

“_We need your help.”_

_“_Any of you dummies got a map?”

After pointing out the location of the crypt, Sam and Dean took to the internet to see if they could pinpoint what now stood in its place. Cleopatra stood vigil over the brothers while Castiel moved Meg into the adjacent room and worked on wrapping the wounds she’d obtained that had begun to fester over time.

“She’s like… a fire,” Meg started, downing the alcohol that hung between loose fingers as the angel met her gaze. “I can see her. The _real _her. Every time she looks at you, there’s a spark of something in those pretty gold eyes of hers that makes me wonder if you are the spark to that _fire _that burns within her.”

“For you, that is.. oddly poetic.”

“The girl _loves _you, Clarence. Cute, quiet you with those big blue eyes. Original make and model Cas who refused to kill her and defied G O D to do so. That girl would move Heaven and Earth to give you the fairy tale crap ending she thinks you both deserve. I would know. She told me _all _about it.” Meg paused and met the angels eyes. “Don’t forget what you did all this for in the first place.”

_A small town park. A cup of a cider. A pair of gold eyes.. and a heart that the world would never come to know. She was fiercely protective of it._

Cas tilted his head as two hands came down to rest on either side of Meg’s face, gold light shining from her palms as she mended the broken blood vessels in her cheeks and removed the bruising to her skin.

Meg smiled brightly at the Nephilim who merely snorted in response.

“Alright, campers-“ Dean’s voice broke through their reverie. “Let’s roll.”

***

“So this is it? In the basement?”

The five of them walked in tandem together down the alley that would lead them into the basement where the crypts were housed. “Cas and I will go in and do our Indiana Jones. Cleo, you stay outside with Sam and Meg.”

“Fat chance, Winchester.” Cleopatra said firmly. “If you think I’m about to let you go in there alone with Mr. Stabby Stab, you’ve got another thing coming. You’re under my charge. I don’t just _let go._”

Dean shrugged absently. “Fair enough.”

“Wait-That’s it?!” Sam exclaimed. “I’m not letting you go in there alone-_No, _Cas.. that is not what I meant! Meg can hang here and watch our backs!”

Dean rolled his eyes and stuck his hands further into his pockets. “Oh, so now we trust Meg?” He asked skeptically.

“I do.” Cleopatra retorted. “She got us this far!” Meg smirked and lightly bumped hips with the Nephilim in solidarity.

“Sam, I saw your bloody rag in the trash, okay?” Dean said. Sam stiffened and went silent at his brothers remark as they turned to face one another.

“_That wasn’t-_“

“Stop. Just stop. Sam, we don’t know what’s in there. You almost let a demon get the best of you back there.”

“I’m _fine_-“ Sam gasped as his eyes flickered gold, and they snapped downward to where Cleopatra had wrapped her hand around the inside of his forearm. He was so used to the Nephilim’s unprecedented touch - something they’d been working on for several years at that point - that it hadn’t even occurred to him that she could see the ruined remains of his mind.

“No, you’re not.” She and Castiel said in unison. “Sam, you’re damaged in ways _neither _of us can heal. Dean is right. You should stay here and protect Meg.”

Meg cocked a brow questioningly. “Since when do I need protecting?” She asked.

“Since you were held captive and tortured for a year.” Castiel said.

She could nothing but shrug in reply.

"Alright. We’ll be back.” Cleopatra stuck her hands in her pockets and followed the pair into the abandoned warehouse, keeping her eyes peeled for intrusion as they continued on in their task. “Hey.” Dean said softly. “What did you two mean back there about Sam?”

“It’s difficult to say,” Castiel replied. “It’s something on the subatomic level. His electromagnetic field-“

“Okay, bottom line it for me, Bill Nye. Is it lethal?”

“I don’t know. _Wait.” _Castiel stuck his arm out just before Cleopatra could pass him. “There’s a draft here. Will you give me a hand?”

She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth and reluctantly nodded, ushering to Dean to stand back as they both laid their hands on the wall.Stone vibrated beneath their touch and crumbled at their feet.

Frigid air curled against her skin and sank deep into her bones. There was something distinctly _evil _about this place.. and it wasn’t the Enochian inscribed box on the opposite side of the room.

“_I found it.”_

_Naomi turned around in her chair to eye the angel standing inside of her office door. Shock flickered across her expression as she realized he was indeed telling the truth. “Tell the Winchester and the girl that the crypt is empty and then you can come back for it-“_

_Castiel shook his head. “It’s warded against angels.” He said. “And Cleopatra will know. She always does.”_

_ "You can come back-“_

_“Crowley’s demons are still in town and we’re running out of time,” He snapped. “What should I do?”_

_“Handle it!”_

"Dean,” Cas said, extending his pointer finger to the box on the opposite side of the room. “That’s it.”

As Dean moved to approach the box, Cleopatra removed her coat and folded it neatly on the table. The angel attempted to move past her to join the elder Winchester and was blocked by her body and careful gold eyes that were practically _taunting _him into provoking her.

“Try me.” She hissed. Castiel grimaced and stood his ground, crossing his arms over his chest as she tilted her head. “Dean, that box is the only thing warded in here against the angelic. Don’t let him touch it.”

“Cleopatra-“

“I _said,_” She replied, voice hanging threateningly low as she continued. “Don’t let him near it.”

Dean had never heard her talk that way. She was trying to warn him - warn him of the very real danger inside of this room - and it wasn’t the tablet. It was him. It was Castiel.

He maneuvered the box onto the table next to Cleopatra’s coat, keeping a careful eye on the pair as he did so, and used the rusted dagger as a makeshift crowbar to pry the lid open. “Winner winner, chicken dinner.” He mused as he carefully lifted the large portion of rock from the confines of the box.

“Good. Now hand it to me, and I’ll take it to Heaven.”

_Flee. _It was her voice, ever the present, lingering in the back of his mind. She was so often Dean’s voice of reason.

“No,” He countered. “We’ll take it to _Kevin _so he can translate it, yeah?”

“Right.” Castiel agreed. “Of course. I’ll take it to him right away.”

Dean shivered at the next word that echoed in his mind. _Liar._

“He’s not that far. I’ve been meaning to go check on him, bring him some supplies.”

“_If the demons get their hands on the angel tablet, they will kill us all!” Naomi exclaimed. “They’ll destroy Heaven!”_

Unknown to Castiel, Dean had handed the tablet over to Cleopatra, believing she’d be better at protecting it then he would.

“_I can reason with Dean, he’s a good man.” Castiel urged._

_Naomi opened her mouth to reply but instead found herself laughing quietly in disbelief. “Your Nephilim is smarter then I have given her credit for,” She said. “This is your time. Time to complete your mission. Kill her.”_

Blue eyes snapped back to reality. “I can resupply the prophet, Dean.” He said. 

_“_Why don’t Sam and I take it over to him, and you can get back to your mission?” Dean asked. Cleopatra swallowed the dread bubbling low in her stomach as she cradled the angel tablet to her chest. The overwhelming sense of pure, unadulterated _fear _that was coursing through her veins made her uneasy.

"Not difficult to do, since my mission is right here.”

Everything slowed at once.

_You are an abomination. My mission… to rid the world of you._

Reagan’s laughter. Her father’s smile. The loss, the heartache, the _mourning…._

_So that was what Heaven was trying to do._

_ “_I can’t let you take that, Cleopatra.”

“You’re gonna have to pry it from my _cold dead hands _if you want it, Castiel.” She snarled. “Now. You can’t let me take it, or you _won’t _let me take it?”

“Both.”

Uneasy silence settled before Dean decided to speak. “How did you get out of Purgatory, Cas?” He asked.

“_There has to be another way!”_

_“You’ve killed the girl a thousand times, Castiel!” Naomi exclaimed. “You’re ready. Kill her, fulfill the mission you failed, and bring the tablet home where it belongs.”_

_Shame flickered across his expression as he thought of those memories that had been keeping him sane since his penance in Purgatory: A bright smile, soft gold eyes, and a warm touch that enveloped his hand in a small park in Lawrence, Kansas._

_God, forgive him.. he loved her._

_Too much._

"Just tell us how you got out of Purgatory!” Dean demanded. “Be honest with us for the first time since you’ve been back, and this is yours.”

Her breath caught in her throat as his angel blade slid out of his sleeve and into his hand.

_***_

Dean groaned low in his throat from where he laid on the ground.

_What happened? What- _Oh. That was it.

“Castiel, if you’re in there and you can hear me, you don’t have to do this! _Snap out of it!_”

In a last ditch effort to keep him safe, Cleopatra had thrown the elder Winchester against the wall and out of the way from Castiel’s path of destruction.

He struck the tablet encased within the rock using the hilt of his angel blade.

Thunder rumbled and lightning cracked across the darkness.

“_This isn’t right-“_

_“Do you realize what that tablet could do for us? For Heaven?”_

_Certainty. A firm grasp on what he knows to be true: the love for humans, and the undying devotion to a Nephilim. “I won’t hurt Cleopatra.”_

_ “Yes, you will.” She demanded. “You ARE.”_

_ ‘_’Castiel, this is not you!” Cleopatra yelled. “This is not the same angel who defied Heaven to rescue Dean and risked everything to fall in love with the woman who was your mission! _This is not you! _Fight it!”

She yelped and hid herself beneath the tablet just as the darkness was once again illuminated.

_Castiel pressed his hands against his ears. A futile attempt to block the sound of her desperate cries and screams to break through the walls that had been built around his mind. “What have you done to me?!” He exclaimed._

_ “Just relax, Castiel.” Naomi cooed. “Just let your vessel do what you know deep down is the right thing.”_

_ “_What have you done to me, Naomi-“

_The same Naomi who tried to kill me when I entered Heaven? _“A name! You’ve given us a name!” Cleopatra said. “Now use it! Use the power you have _against her _and cast her _out!_”

_ “What have I done to you!?” She seethed. “Do you have any idea what it’s like out there?! There’s blood everywhere, and it’s on your hands. It’s on HER hands. She’s the one who eliminated so many of our brothers and sisters using your name as she did so. We were desperate, hurting, SCARED-and you want to know who came to our aid? Another fallen angel. One just like you. Zion Michaels, the very same angel who showed me what Cleopatra Carter’s weakness is.” Naomi bent down to meet Castiel’s eyes. “Her heart. _ _I fixed you, Castiel. I fixed YOU.”_

“Cas-“

Cleopatra gasped as he backhanded her rather hard, sending her body flying into the nearest wall and rolling downward onto the floor. Pain seared her wings as they enveloped her tighter in hopes it would create a semblance of safety.

She stood to her feet and prepared to flee.

Then his hand wrapped around her arm, twisted _hard, _and the rock that encased the tablet shattered at her feet.

_please no, please no, not like this-_

His fist collided with her face. Again. And again, and again, until all she could see was red.

_ "If you allow it," He rasped. "I'd very much like to kiss you now." Cleopatra grinned and brought herself to her tiptoes, allowing Castiel to balance her weight with his arm tightly wrapped around her waist. Even through the multiple layers he wore, she could still feel the strength in his muscles. _

_ "I allow it." _

“If you want it,” Tired eyes lifted to meet his own as she wiped at the blood pooling beneath her nose with the back of her hand. “Take it. You’re gonna have to kill me first.”

_ “She loves him, and she's loved Sam, and she loves us. She would never willingly agree to such a ridiculous charade knowing that it puts Castiel in danger. Cleopatra isn't selfish, you idiot." _

_ “_Come on, you coward! _Do it! _Finish your mission!”

_Castiel slammed his hand against the desk out of pure desperation. “Please.” He begged._

_“End this, Castiel.” Naomi said._

She couldn’t feel her own skin anymore. Not its warmth, or its suppleness, or the ghost of his lips that so often traveled upon it.

She only felt the cold.

“Cas-“ She rasped, swallowing the bile building in her throat. “Castiel, this isn’t you. This isn’t _my _angel. Please.. sweetheart.” A beat of silence. “Please don’t be another Reagan. Don’t be my father. _Come back to me.”_

_He can barely hear anything over the sound of his own labored breathing. He doesn’t want to hurt her, he’d rather take his own life then do anything of the sort-_

_ “Bring me the tablet.”_

“Cas, _Castiel.” _She watched through one swollen eye as he lifted his angel blade and tilted the tip downward. One solid thrust and she’d be dead. The stupid thing had been enchanted to kill _her _specifically. “I know you’re in there, angel. I know you can hear me. It’s _me.” _A pause ensued as she took his other hand in her own and brought it up to her lips to kiss the bridge of his knuckles. “We’re family. I _love _you.. I have always loved you, and I need you to remember that.”

_Even when you are the very thing I fear, I still love you.. no matter the cost._

_ ’You have to choose, Castiel. Us or them.”_

There’s something distinctly relieving about the way her body goes lax as he drops that angel blade and it clatters against the ground. Cleopatra winced as her wings slowly eased themselves into their relaxed state and she fell on all fours against the ground.

Dean stirred only mere feet away.

“_Force-I-“_

Desperate to control her breathing, Cleopatra slowly brought herself back into focus despite the pain wracking her body. She was so preoccupied by the act that she missed the glaring bright light that erupted through the room when Castiel bent down to pick up the tablet.

“_Castiel-Castiel!”_

He’d done it.

She was gone.

***

“Cas? No-_no, _Angel…”

Guilt or shame - whichever he may be feeling at the time, it’s more likely to be both - flickered across Castiel’s face as he slowly extended his hand to rest it against her cheek. When she winces at his attempted touch that is meant to heal her, something in him _dies._

Then she surged forward and took him into her embrace, weeping freely into the fabric of his coat as she did so.

This is her. This is the woman he loves, and he will never stop repenting of his sins he’s committed towards her.

“I’m sorry, Flower.” He murmured repeatedly in her ear. “I’m so sorry. I’m sorry.”

“What just happened?” She asked, pulling herself away to run her fingers through the hair at his nape as he gripped the tablet in loose hands. “Naomi has been controlling you this entire time, hasn’t she?”

Castiel exhaled through his nose and pressed his head into her shoulder. A futile attempt to hide from his guilt. “Yeah.”

“Well, what broke the connection?”

“I don’t know. I have a distinct feeling it might’ve been you,” Castiel whispered as he lifted his head and just _barely _grazed her mouth with his own. Just the slightest amount of pressure - a touch she had been craving for _weeks _by that point - and she melted in his hands. “Thank you.”

She smiled gently and nodded. “You’re welcome.”

A low groan broke through the reverie. Cleopatra turned her attention away to Dean as he blinked repeatedly and drew himself back to consciousness before slowly standing to his feet. “I just know I have to protect this tablet now.” Cas said.

“From Naomi?” Dean asked.

“Yes. From both of you as well.” He met her gaze one last time, whispered _i love you _into her mind, and was gone without another trace.

Her fingers curled around empty air.

“_Dean! _Cleopatra!” Sam’s urgent call carried through the air as Dean wrapped his arm around her waist and followed her to the door. “Where’s Cas?”

“He’s gone, Sam.”

“We have to go. _Now.”_

The three of them rushed out the door and to the Impala, throwing themselves into the vehicle and slamming the doors behind them as the engine roared to life.

From where she stood in Crowley’s grasps, Meg snickered at the King of Hell as she recognized the gold eyes amongst the shadows. Ever the vigil Nephilim she was. “No Cas in the back seat, and the Nephilim in her place where she belongs watching over the Winchesters in her charge,” She jeered. It was just too much fun to taunt Crowley when they loathed each other so deeply. “Your tablet is long gone.”

_don’t look._

Cleopatra screwed her eyes tightly shut as Crowley drove his own blade right into Meg’s stomach.

The demon collapsed with a final cry and moved no more.

_don’t look._

“Cleo,” Sam’s gentle voice coaxed as he patted the empty spot between him and Dean. It was only then she realized just how _tired _she was. “Come up here.”

The minute she laid her head down in Sam’s lap, the younger brother began humming a song that sounded distinctly familiar and in moments she was asleep.

***

“So what happened to Cas?”

“I don’t know, and I don’t currently care. Right now he is off the reservation with a heavenly WMD.” Dean muttered. “Listen man. I can’t take any more lies from anyone.”

Sam softened and pressed his face into the mess of black hair that had navigated upward to rest against his shoulder. How she slept curled in on herself, he had no idea, but he wasn’t about to deny her a very needed comfort. “I know.” He said softly. “I know, and I’m sorry. I should’ve told you. I just wanted to believe I was okay. I just-I don’t know.”

“You heard what Cas and Cleopatra said. That first trial damaged you in ways even _they _can’t heal.” Dean replied. “Sammy, I need you to be honest with me from here on out man.”

“You’re right. I will be.”

“I might not be able to carry the burden that comes along with these trials, but I can carry you.”

Sam pressed his lips together to contain his laughter as he tightened his arms around Cleopatra’s waist. “You, uh.. realize you just quoted Lord of the Rings, right?” He asked.

“Come on man, it’s the _Rudy _Hobbit.. and the Rudy Hobbit always gets pass, okay? Shut up.”

Dean ended their conversation by turning on the radio. _Goodbye Stranger _plays as the night passed on.

_Goodbye stranger, it’s been nice_

_Hope you find your paradise_

_Tried to see your point of view_

_Hope your dreams will all come true_

Somewhere in the United States on a bus venturing who knows where, a saddened Angel of the Lord hides the word of God away the best way he knows how and allows himself to rest for the first time in what feels like years.

When he slips away into a dream like state, his Nephilim is there.

And so he smiles.

It’s been so long since he’s done that.


	67. Taxi Driver | The Great Escapist

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The brothers come closer to closing out the mission of a lifetime: closing the gates to Hell and vanquishing demons from the face of the Earth forever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is a filler before the big finish for s8 x

It took alot of coaxing on their part, but after receiving an urgent message from Kevin, Sam and Dean departed from the Bunker to meet the Prophet on Garth’s houseboat. They were reluctant to leave her alone after what had happened with Castiel. She didn’t entirely blame them.

It was the text message from Dean that threw Cleopatra for a loop.

** _Dean’O: The kid translated the second trial from the tablet… gotta rescue an innocent soul from Hell and take it to Heaven_ **

Cleopatra furrowed her brow and swept her thumbs across the screen of her phone.

** _Cleo: how does that work? is that even possible?_ **

Sipping idly at the whiskey she’d salvaged from the decanter - a present from her mother upon her first visit to the Bunker - Cleopatra waited for the elder Winchester brother’s reply as she basked in the silence.

It was always too quiet without her family here.

** _Dean’O: not sure yet.. will let you know x_ **

Which meant she now had to find something to occupy her mind that didn’t start with _Cas _and end with _tiel._

He was another story entirely.

***

“Can you meet me on the houseboat? Kinda feel like I’m drowning here..” Dean faltered, shyly scratching the back of his neck as he lingered at the front door. “Would like some reassuring company that wasn’t an off his rocker teenage prophet.”

Cleopatra smiled softly and tucked the phone against her ear. His moments of vulnerability were few and far between anymore. “Sure,” She replied. “I’ll be there shortly.”

“Thank you.”

Dean didn’t have to say _i love you _for her to know what he meant.

Cleopatra slowly rose from her bed, snapped her journal shut, and tried to numb the beginnings of a headache at the base of her skull as she downed three Ibuprofen before slipping on her boots. Headaches were so _human._

Searching for Castiel and the angel tablet had been a difficult process so far.

He was expertly navigating the chain of Biggerson’s across the country to avoid the eyes of Heaven. While Cleopatra couldn’t _pinpoint _him, she knew he was out there doing his duty.

Dean was in the middle of a conversation with Kevin when she appeared outside the front door.

“See, we’re different from the other guys.” He said. “For the it’s all backyard barbecues and bowling teams. But you and me, we gotta carry a little extra weight.”

Cleopatra closed her eyes and reopened them to the inside of the houseboat. Dean and Kevin still hadn’t noticed her arrival. “I can’t take it.” Kevin replied.

The elder brother met the prophet’s eyes head on. He understood this, he’d _been _this since the day his mother and his childhood had gone up in smoke and left nothing but ashes in its wake. He’d seen this inside of a Nephilim who had not grown up in the life, who continuously risked herself and the state of her heart for an angel who’d fallen from grace to save his love: humanity.

“Hey, look at me.” Dean said firmly. “You can. I know it’s hard, _believe me, _but you suck it up and push through because that’s what we do. When you get on board with that, the ride is alot smoother.”

Kevin’s gaze flickered upward as the Nephilim emerged from her spot and wrapped her arms around Dean’s shoulders so she could rest her chin on top of his head. He’d only seen the Winchesters with the half-breed a few times, but he was almost always awed by how _relaxed _they became in her presence. Like she was a safe place for them to flee to in their most dire times of need.

“I’m gonna be in my room.” Kevin said. “Let me know when there’s a good day.”

Dean’s face fell as he outstretched his hand towards the teenager. “Hey-“ He whined. “That’s my pie!”

“Oh, let him have it.” Cleopatra tutted. “There’s no reason he can’t have a pick me up too.” She rested her chin in her hands and tilted her head. “Fill me in. What’s going on?”

He wiped his mouth with the back of his hands and then pushed his empty meal aside to take her hands into his own. The Nephilim smiled at the action and loosely gripped his in return, remaining silent as she waited for him to speak.

“Like I said initially, he translated the second trial. Sam went down to Hell to get the innocent soul to take it back to Heaven-“

“And?”

Dean took a deep breath. “The soul was Bobby.” Cleopatra gasped, raising her hand to her chest as the air felt like it had been snatched from her lungs. “I wanted to go with him, I _did- _but he’s insistent on doing these alone without any kind of help from me or you-“

“He just wants to keep us safe, Dean.” She murmured. Gentle fingers extended to rest against the curve of his jaw.

“It’s not his job to keep me safe.” Dean argued.

Cleopatra shook her head. “No,” She replied. ‘’But it is our job to make sure he stays _alive.”_

Green eyes met blue-green and softened at the very obvious expression of love in her gaze. “I don’t tell you this nearly enough,” He murmured, standing to his feet just enough to press a kiss to her forehead. “I’m so thankful for you.”

Again, another nonverbal _i love you._

_ “I know.” _She whispered, catching his face in her hands to reciprocate the action and gently kiss his cheek.

***

After successfully sneaking away from Dean and Cleopatra, Kevin ultimately decided that the best way to alleviate his growing nerves was to hide his half of the tablet where no one else would be able to find it except him.

“_Kids, right?” _Cleopatra felt her blood run cold as she and Dean slowly turned to face the new voice in the room. “They’re cute when they’re young but then they turn into teenagers and the parties over.”

Dean stiffened at the _waves _of anger that radiated from the woman who stood beside him. Given that they’d been in the same room together a total of thirty seconds, Dean wondered if there was something about the woman that Cleopatra knew and that was why she was being hostile.

Turned out it was the same angel who’d tortured Castiel.

‘’Oh no, you don’t get to talk.” She snarled. “I already know who you are. _I saw you. _Peeking through the walls you erected around my soulmate’s mind gets me just enough information to see inside and the damage you’ve done, Naomi.”

Naomi sighed and retracted her hand. “I should have realized you would know who I was,” She said. “You are much more intelligent than I ever gave you credit for.”

“Yeah well, decades of running from the eyes of Heaven will do that to a girl.”

“I know who you are,” Dean interjected as he wrapped his fingers around the inside of her forearm and drew her backward and into his chest. “And I know what you did to Cas after he got out of Purgatory.”

“You mean after I _rescued _him from Purgatory? At the cost of _many _angels lives.”

Naomi smiled as blue-green shifted to molten gold. The fury of a Nephilim had always amazed her, even when she’d been on the receiving end of it. “You screwed with his head and had him spy on us.”

“Well, it is true that I have spoken to Castiel many times. Trying to reach out to him, trying to help him.. Cleopatra, you must have noticed how Purgatory changed him. I mean he’s been damaged in the past but I was _shocked _at how damaged he is now.” Naomi remarked.

“You wouldn’t know _damaged _if it hit you square between the eyes.” Cleopatra snapped. “And even then, maybe it wasn’t your hands that needed to piece his _damages _back together. Maybe it was mine. Did you ever consider that? I’m tired of the _spinning _trying to make it seem like you did no wrong, that you only did your duty. Do you really think I don’t know that you wanted him to fulfill his mission to try and kill me?”

Naomi sighed. “Oh,” She murmured, nodding in understanding. “I suppose that is how he would hear it. When I learned of the angel tablet, I did tell Castiel to get it at any cost. It’s my job to protect Heaven. I’m a warrior just as you both are. What would you expect? And now Castiel is in the wind with a hydrogen bomb in his pocket and I-“

Cleopatra grimaced as it flashed, if only for a split second, across Naomi’s face. _Desperation. Fear._

"Oh,” She said. “That’s rich. You’re _scared._”

“Save it.” Dean interjected, cutting her off from speaking further. “See, I don’t trust angels outside of him and her which means I also don’t trust you.”

“And yet you haven’t warded this place against us.” Naomi replied. “I know you’re hoping Castiel will return to you. Cleopatra, I _admire _your loyalty. I only wish he felt the same way.”

“You have no idea how he feels.” She said matter-of-factly. “None. _None. _Don’t try to parade around here like you _know _the angel you brainwashed and manipulated for your own gain. I won’t hear it.”

“Regardless of how we feel about one another, we are _all _on the same side. Shutting the gates of Hell, bringing Castiel in from the cold. Take a moment and think about what I’ve said.” She paused briefly before continuing. “Oh. I know you’ve been doing business with Ajay. He did mention that his way into Hell is through Purgatory, didn’t he?”

Cleopatra felt her heart drop into her stomach as Dean’s face fell. _Oh no, no… Sam._

_ “_Next time I see her, I’m killing her.”

Dean snickered as she tossed her hair over her shoulder. “I won’t stop you,” He replied. “But I think someone will probably beat you to it.”

***

_This isn’t how I wanted this to end for him._

Cleopatra leaned against the graffitied wall as she watched Benny and Dean from the corner of her eye. After finding Ajay’s dead body in the front seat of the taxi, Dean had resorted to a drastic measure in order to retrieve Sam and Bobby from where they were stranded in Purgatory.

Benny had been good to them both throughout their time in Purgatory. He’d taught her how to adapt, how to hone in on her darkness and use it to keep her _alive. _He was the only reason why she and Dean had come home and to see him go out this way made her feel ill. He deserved better then that.

Even then, part of her knew he believed he worked better with Purgatory. It was purer. He had a _purpose._

There’s no purpose up here when your whole life is just… gone.

“If you want nothing to do with this, I completely understand.” Dean said.

“Wow. When Dean Winchester asks for a favor.. he’s not screwing around.”

“You’re the only reason she and I even survived that place.” He nodded at Cleopatra who pressed the heel of her boot against the wall and dug her hands deeper into the trench coat she now wore, attention taken by the headphones tucked into her ears. “Sending you back is the last thing either of us wants to do.”

“I know.”

“My little brother is stuck down there-“

Benny beamed. “This is the same little brother who wants to kill me, right?” He asked.

“You’ve got access to the place!”

“By access, you mean getting beheaded?”

Dean shook his head. This was insane. _He _was insane. On what planet was asking your friend to let you murder them a just act? “You’re right,” He said. “It’s too much. It’s not like I’ve exactly been there for you lately.”

Benny tilted his head in confusion. “What?” He asked. “Oh, come _on _Dean. You know I love a challenge.”

Shock flickered across Dean’s face. “Wait,” He replied. “Are you serious?”

“Hey, he’s your brother. I say let’s do this.”

Cleopatra turned her attention towards the two men and removed her headphone from her ear. This wasn’t her business, seeing as how Benny and Dean knew each other far better than she knew the vampire, but she wanted to commend him on his selfless act to return Sam to them. “Hey Benny,” She called out. He turned to look at her over his shoulder and was met with a warm smile. “Thank you man. For everything.”

“You take care of this nutjob, sweetheart.” He mused. “Someone’s gotta keep him on the straight and narrow.”

“I will.”

She tucked her headphone into her ear and allowed the world to fade away with the sound of Sleeping at Last.

_I know you were not new_

_That loved like me and you_

_All the same I miss you_

The blade cut clean through his neck, and Dean grimaced as the body _thumped _against the concrete.

Now they had to get to Maine.

_Today has been OK_

_Today has been OK_

_***_

** _100 Mile Wilderness, Maine_ **

Dean tightened his grip on Cleopatra’s hand as they stood within the vicinity of the Purgatory drop off. Heart pounding, her sharp eyes peered through the dark for any sign of Sam’s arrival, only to be taken aback by the bright light and the _grunt _of the younger Winchester as he was deposited onto the ground.

“Dean-“

“I see him.”

The two of them rushed Sam and enveloped him in the tightest hug they could muster. “Purgatory, right?” Dean asked as they simultaneously pulled away and Cleopatra ran her hand down the inside of Sam’s forearm to loosen his white knuckled grip on the demon knife. “A real garden spot, ain’t it?”

Sam laughed breathlessly. “Yeah,” He replied.

“Did you get them out?”

Disappointment flickered across his face. “Only Bobby.” He said. “Benny got us out. A bunch of vamps showed and he used himself as bait. I get the feeling that even if that didn’t happen, he didn’t want to come back, y’know?” Resignation contorted Dean’s face as he allowed his gaze to fall to the ground. It shouldn’t have hurt so much every time he lost the few friends he had, but it did. “I’m sorry.”

“You’re probably right.” Dean remarked. “So, uh.. Bobby! How’d he hold up down there?”

“He’s good, all things considered - and ornery as hell of course.”

“As he should be. Let’s put that old man where he belongs.”

As Sam dragged the blade across his arm and recited the Latin incantation to release Bobby’s soul from Purgatory, _something _turned the pure white of his soul into a dark, foul colored essence that was being withheld from entering Heaven.

“Hello boys.” Cleopatra threw her hands out and nearly knocked Crowley off of his feet in the haste of trying to keep the Winchesters safe. “Bobby Singer, I’d know you anywhere.”

“Let him go Crowley,” Dean demanded. “He doesn’t belong in Hell.”

“He does if I say he does. He’s inflicted untold damage on my kind. From where I sit, actually, hell is too good for him.”

As the brothers advanced, Crowley rolled his eyes and flicked his wrist, sending the two of them backward into the nearest tree. Cleopatra snarled and dug her feet into the Earth to keep herself planted in her place.

Crowley frowned as the white part of Bobby’s essence _gleamed _as it descended, slowly dispersing the tainted part to purify it.

“_What?”_

Naomi smiled smugly as she appeared in front of the demon and beside Cleopatra. “Let me see if I’m understanding the situation correctly.” Naomi said. “The Winchesters have freed an innocent from Hell to which you are wrongfully trying to return it.

“You don’t know these three, Naomi. Before they’d done, we’ll both be locked away.”

“I’m just hoping they lock _you _away, dear. The rest I’ll figure out.”

“Bureaucrat.” Crowley taunted. Cleopatra snorted as Naomi’s face darkened. “You’re fighting outside your weight class.”

“_Don’t call me a bureaucrat.”_

Cleopatra’s jaw dropped as the forest was illuminated in a gold that mirrored her own Nephilim grace before Crowley disappeared, ever the coward, and left the four of them alone. The auburn haired angel turned back to them and smiled.

She was clearly satisfied with the reaction she’d provoked.

“_Told you you could trust me.”_

As Sam spoke the incantation to be used every time they finished one of the Trials, Cleopatra pressed her hand to Dean’s chest and waited for the effects to die down before slowly bringing Sam to his feet.

“You okay?”

He threw his arms out and crushed her against his chest in a hug.

“I will be.”

Across the way, Kevin Tran started screaming.

His last thought is of his life before. Of home.

** _The Great Escapist_ **

"Alright, here we go!” Dean exclaimed. “John Winchester’s famous _cure-all _kitchen sink stew. Here we go.” The elder brother sat the tray down in front of Sam who sighed deeply through his nose and leaned back into Cleopatra’s touch. “Is she helping at all?”

“Oh yes,” He replied playfully. “Her _magic hands _are working all of the crippling pain out of, you know, my entire body.”

Cleopatra snorted and bent down to press a kiss to Sam’s head. “Your strength is waning, Sam.” She replied. “This is what my brother called _Nephilim’s Aura. _It takes bits of angelic grace - the healing factor of it - and filters it into your blood stream. It should help. Somewhat.”

“When was the last time you ate?”

“I don’t know-“

“_Days, _Sam. It’s been three days.” Dean said. He paused in his rant and removed the thermometer he’d purchased several days before from his back pocket. “I got this when you started throwing off heatwaves. “ He extended his hand with the intention to slip the thermometer underneath Sam’s tongue. “Here.”

Cleopatra yelped as the younger brother leapt to his feet and threw the chair backward, seemingly forgetting she had been standing right behind it. “Sam!” She exclaimed. “Would it kill you to be courteous? You about took my head off!”

“This is not _you, _Sam.” Dean snapped. It was fairly evident how concerned he was about his brother’s wellbeing. “The bloody handkerchiefs, the fever, the shaky legs? This is _not _good!”

Sam shrugged absently. He, however, didn’t seem to really mind his current physical state because all his thoughts were on completing the Trials and banishing the very beings that had murdered their mother from the Earth _permanently. _“I’m not good, and I won’t be good until we get moving again and I can start the third trial.”

Cleopatra whistled and stuck her hands in her pockets. “Oi, genius!” She said. “Can’t start a trial when you’ve died from the other two!”

“She’s right.” Dean said. “And if you think I’d let you do _anything, _I wouldn’t even let you start a moped_! _We’re on the rails with this thing, okay? And the only way out of it is through it.. believe me, I know. You know how bad I wanna slam the door.”

“Sam.” Sammy shivered as gentle hands coasted down his shoulders and curled along the inside of his forearms. “_Sammy_, let us take care of you. Let us help you get your strength back.” Cleopatra quietly sighed and rested her forehead in the space between his shoulder blades. “You two are in _my _charge, remember? That was the mission Castiel gave me all that time ago. You’d be putting my conscience at ease.”

“I don’t think you two get it.” Sam stated. “This isn’t a cold, or a fever. It’s not something you’re supposed to _feed. _Those first two trials aren’t just things I did. They’re doing something to me. Changing me.”

The three of them paused as the nearest cellphone began chiming with an alert. It sounded urgent.

“It’s Kevin.”

Cleopatra breathed a sigh of relief and leaned into Sam as they stared at the computer. “Finally.” She whispered.

Turned out that the video Kevin had attached in an external link to his email was just to berate them for getting him killed. Kevin. _Dead._

Cleopatra pinched the bridge of her nose with her thumb as a loud crash resounded through the Bunker. Dean had a tendency to physically lash out in the face of loss. She usually didn’t fair better and opted to bottle it up until the worst possible moment for the dam to break. Her losses had been few and far between compared to the brothers, but it seemed recently that she was continuously losing Castiel.

Her grip on the Seraph was slipping from her fingers.

"You okay?” Sam asked quietly, extending his hand across the table as he hooked up the printer and began to print Kevin’s notes from the email. She rested her head against her forearm and slowly nodded.

His presence was everywhere and nowhere all at once.

She closed her eyes, listened to the soothing sound of the printer, and prayed.

***

In Santa Fe, Castiel heard her.

Sipping his black coffee, he peered ahead of him as the waitress lingered at the side of his table. It truly felt like he had not stopped running in forever. The only thing keeping him sane at the current moment was the flickering prayer - the sound of Cleopatra’s voice - he had begun indulging himself in hearing when he needed it most.

“_Ion, tell me you have good news.” Naomi pressed. It had only been a matter of time since she had returned to Heaven, and all of her attention had been on executing the plan she’d carefully crafted to find Castiel and the tablet._

_ “He’s using a clever tactic. A chain of restaurants called Biggersons. The humans built many of them and they’re all exactly alike. Castiel is using it against us. We try to orient ourselves, but it’s as if we’re in ever Biggerson’s at once trapped in a quantum superposition. He chooses which to go to next. That’s what’s giving him the edge.”_

_ "So you’re saying you can’t catch him?”_

_“There’s just so many Biggerson’s.”_

_“Very well. You say he can’t be caught, then we will simply have to make him stop.”_

Cleopatra was lounging in the field of wildflowers across from the Bunker when they found her. It wasn’t often that she was caught off guard, but to be used against Castiel had been a reoccurring pattern since she and Castiel had met the Winchester’s in the barn.

“Nephilim,” Four angels drew their blades and the fifth drew the Enochian inscribed handcuffs. “You will come.”

She shrugged. It wasn’t worth fighting over, not when she could use her sharp tongue to taunt Naomi and find Castiel at the same time.

“Sure.” She mused, extending her hands to the very confused Seraph. “Take me to your leader.” 

***

“_They said you have to stop.”_

Cleopatra gasped as the two angels flanking her shoved her into the front door of the Biggerson’s in Santa Fe, New Mexico. This had been one of the restaurants she’d taken him to not long after they’d begun their search for God.

It was trashed. The angels had done a _number _on the people inside, leaving a trail of burned corpses and blood trails in their wake.

Castiel was sitting in the chair beside Ion when she was shoved to the ground at his feet. Breathing heavily, Cleopatra flipped her head upward and met the angels gaze just as a resounding _crack _echoed through the otherwise silent room.

_What are you doing here? _He snapped, clearly upset that she was putting herself at risk for him. This time had been on her terms. It hadn’t been circumstances that made her do it.

_Saving your skin for the umpteenth time. _She replied cooly. _And by the way, you owe me a date._

“I can’t hear myself think.”

“We’re supposed to be their shepherds.” Castiel remarked sharply. “Not their murderers. And _she_,” He lightly nudged her thigh with the tip of his boot. “Has nothing to do with this. Let her _go.”_

“I don’t think I will.” Cleopatra laughed quietly beneath her breath as Naomi took the seat behind her and wrenched her head backward, fingers wound tightly in her hair as she toyed with the angel blade now poised beneath her chin. “We’ve not always been that way, _angel. _There was that day back in Egypt not so long ago when we _slew _every first born infant whose door wasn’t splashed with lamb’s blood. That was just PR.”

“Well, I wasn’t there-“

“Oh, you were there. You just don’t remember it.” Naomi hummed as she gently ran the blunt end of the blade against her windpipe.

_Look at me. _Castiel blinked away the angry tears in his eyes. He hadn’t told her, but there were fragments of memories of their time together that felt as if they’d been washed away by the tide. He only had pieces. Gentle touches and soft smiles and eyes that shined like the stars of the constellations spread across an obsidian sky above them. _She does not define you. You define you. I love you.. no matter what you remember._

_And if you forget, I’ll help you remember it all. From start.. to now._

"How many times have you torn into my head and washed it clean?” Castiel asked.

“Frankly? Too many.” Naomi snapped. “You are the famous _spanner _in the works. Honestly I think you came off the line with a crack in your chassis. You’ve _never _done what you were told.The one time you were given a mission of your own? You abandoned it and fell in love. You fell in love with a _human_, an abomination under the eyes of Heaven - of your own kind - and for what? You couldn’t kill right, and you don’t _die _right. Where is the angel tablet, Castiel?”

“In the words of a good friend,” He leaned forward and pressed his elbows against his knees. “_Bite me.”_

_Oh Lord have mercy… _

Castiel rose a brow just enough for her to take notice. _I thought you’d like that. _He mused. _Now stay quiet.. or they’re going to use you against me. I won’t risk you._

She flashed her eyes.

_You’re not meant to always protect me. _She argued. _I’ve been protecting myself for years. You don’t need to do it for me._

His eyes softened. _Someone has to look after your heart._

Cleopatra gasped as Naomi dug the tip of the blade into her temple and slowly dragged it downward, then diagonally, and upward again. A crudely marked _N _now bled from her temple. “I know your weakness, Castiel.” She taunted. “And I will exploit it. I _did _tell her she could trust me.”

“And I _did _tell you that I’d be the one to kill you first,” She yelled as Naomi ushered Ion and his brother back out the door to research the chain of Biggerson’s for the half of the tablet that Castiel had stole. “Looks like my chance is coming!”

The blade had done more damage then she’d anticipated. Grimacing, Cleopatra lifted her fingers and rubbed them together, gold light shining from her fingertips as she pressed them against the inflicted wound.

“_Hello Poppet.”_

She froze at the voice - who she had been anticipating would be Crowley - but then she saw the pressed blue suit and the eyes as dark as the pits themselves. “_Aeron?_” She said incredulously. “What on God’s green earth are you doing here? And _why? _It’s been a freaking eternity!”

“I heard you were causing quite the scene up top,” Aeron replied. “I decided to accompany my father and watch the show for myself. You are one of my favorites, you know.”

Crowley appeared at his son’s side and handed him the weapon he’d been holding only a moment beforehand. “Do you like it?” He asked Naomi. “I had one of my R&D people melt down one of your angel blades and cast it into bullets. Seems to do the trick.”

“How dare you-“

“We are the daringest devils you’ve ever met, love.” Aeron replied. “Me moreso. Hello, first and only Cambion to ever exist. A pleasure.”

Naomi rolled her eyes. “We don’t _care _about your existence. You are as much of an abomination as she is.” She snapped, nudging her head at Cleopatra who now knelt between Castiel’s legs.

Bright light flooded the room.

Aeron raised the gun.

“We’ve been here before, haven’t we?” Crowley asked. “Let’s see who blinks first.”

Cleopatra winced as a gunshot rang out and one of the accompanying angels who had brought her here fell to the ground in a heap. “Hm.” Aeron murmured. He and his father parted from each others sides as they turned to face the half-breed and her soulmate before them. “Pleasure to make your acquaintance again, Castiel. I’m sure you’ve recognized that we have an angel on the payroll.”

Two pairs of eyes flickered to Ion.

“It’s that kind of universe these days.”

Castiel’s eyes widened as he struggled against his bonds upon seeing that Crowley had aimed the gun at _Cleopatra_. Before he could fire, Aeron took the weapon from his father and fired it straight into the Seraph’s stomach.

Gold eyes roared to life as she jumped to her feet and screamed so ferociously [A/N: see jack's powers circa 13x01]that she threw Aeron, Ion _and _Crowley into the walls opposite of each other.

The Prince of Hell clapped gleefully as he brought himself to his feet. “Wonderful!” He cheered. “That’s it! That’s the woman I encouraged to destroy those who’d dared to wrong the angel she loves!”

Crowley grimaced as Cleopatra turned to face Castiel and gripped his chin with her bound fingers. The angel, struggling to control his heavy breathing, allowed his eyes to flutter closed as she pressed her forehead against his.

“Grab them both and follow me. Aeron, take the girl.”

The Nephilim glowered at the Cambion as he enveloped her shoulders with his hands and led her away from the restaurant and into an office. “_You’re gonna regret this._” She hissed in his ear, grimacing as he shoved her back to her knees beside the wounded angel.

Aeron didn’t answer her.

"I just wanted to make a moment away from the main action, _ha - _to chat with my old business partner.” Castiel heaved a large gulp of air as he felt Cleopatra wrap her fingers around his leg, slowly easing her grace from her grasps into his vessel to _slowly _begin healing him. If they saw, that was it. Game over. “I assume you won’t die just yet. It takes a painful long time to bleed out from the gut.”

“You can do whatever you want, Crowley.” Castiel replied. “I’ll never tell you where I buried the tablet.”

“See, that’s the thing. If _you _don’t tell me, using your girl here as a means to an end will _get _you to tell me. That great big thing in your chest you call a heart has been a weakness since the day we met. Luckily, I don’t believe you have to tell me. I’ve been getting regular updates from my expensive friend here. Naomi should’ve caught you out of the gate.. seeing as lately, she’s been knuckles deep in that melon of yours. She thinks that you touching the tablet has broken her spell over you, hm?”

Cleopatra tilted her head to meet her angel’s gaze through his peripheral vision.

_You didn’t tell anyone but me, did you?_

He lightly shook his head. _No. I intend to keep it that way._

“Oh, look.” Aeron jutted his bottom lip in a mock pout. “They’re telepathically communicating. It makes me sick.”

“It’s not like they’re going to get anywhere.”

Castiel defiantly lifted his chin. “The tablets weren’t meant for the angels,” He informed, allowing his gaze to flicker to the crowned prince. “And they weren’t meant for you. _Either _of you.”

"She’s got alot on her plate, so I won’t fault her for missing it. I was thinking to myself - _self, is Cas got away from her by touching the tablet, why would he ever stop touching the tablet? - _and then I thought to myself: Self.. he hasn’t stopped touching the tablet now, has he?”

Fear curled low in her belly as she realized what Crowley was insinuating.

“I’ll do the honors, Father.” Cleopatra buried her head between her knees as the Cambion dug his hand into the chest cavity of Castiel’s vessel, rummaging through the rungs of his ribcage until he was able to _yank _the tablet from his torso. “Oh, you’re a pip, you are. Heh.”

Cleopatra tightened her grip on his ankle. Gold light flickered beneath her palm.

Ion saw it. He didn’t dare speak a word.

_Stay with me, Angel._

“Aeron,” She called out lowly. Gold eyes met scarlet as they peered at one another across the room. “Your name means _slaughter. _I assume you believe you must live up to your namesake and thus use your _ability _to once take the throne your father has handed to you on a silver platter. Just remember,” Cleopatra tilted her head. “If you ever think about hurting the ones I love, you’ll regret it.”

It was a thinly veiled threat, one he was not surprised to hear. While Castiel’s heart was his weakness, Cleopatra’s was the depths of her love for the people she considered family.

And that same weakness cradled her own heart in his blood covered hands only mere feet away from her.

“I will take your words to heart, Poppet.”

***

“How long can this go on?”

It’s a long time later when Castiel finally asks Ion the question that has been on the forefront of his mind. Cleopatra laid between his legs, quietly humming beneath her breath as she traced patterns against his thigh with lazy fingers. Aeron had disappeared not long after his father had and left the two of them alone with the other angel.

“_Shut up.” _He snapped.

“Ion, how far can we let it all drop?” Castiel asked. “This charge was left to us, it’s our mission.”

“Do you even know what the mission was? You _failed _your first mission apart from your garrison. They’ve been in all our heads.”

Cleopatra grimaced at the hitch in his chest. Despite the very minuscule amount of grace she’d been able to give him, he was still in a considerable amount of pain. “We aren’t machines for them to program and reprogram,” Castiel said. “This isn’t what this was meant to be.”

Ion shrugged.

“Nothing matters.”

“You are so wrong, brother.” He said. “It all matters.”

Blood stained fingers lifted her chin from its place against her thigh to look at him. Her jaw dropped as he used his opposite hand to dig into the bullet wound in his abdomen and remove the bullet.

_Stay put. _He demanded. _Do not move, no matter what happens._

Cleopatra nodded and buried her head between her knees.

_It’ll all be over soon._

It was hard to tell if that was her conscience or his voice whispering the assurance in her ear.

“You soldiers down in the garrison, at least they let you believe the lie. Upstairs, working for Naomi, working in Intelligence.. we had no option but to live down in the dirt. She never reset me completely. I always knew too much, I had to-I had to do my job.”

“Ion,” Castiel threw the nearest object into his head and held the bullet between two fingers before driving it into his eye. “_Shut up.”_

_It’ll all be over soon_

_It’ll all be over soon_

_It’ll all be over soon_

_***_

_Cleopatra would hate this guy._

_ “_That is the true flower of free will. At least, as you’ve mastered it so far. When you create stories, you become Gods of intricate tiny dimensions under themselves. So many worlds. I have reach as much as possible for an angel to read and I haven’t caught up.”

“You know what?” Sam asked. “Pull the frigging trigger.”

Dean rose an eyebrow in shock. Did he _really _just- “Sam.”

“What?”

“Pull the _frigging trigger._” Sam demanded. “You cowardly piece of garbage! All the time you’ve been hiding here, how much suffering have you read over? What about the story of the Nephilim? The one who lost everything she’d ever known and was thrown together with another angel and damned from their start? How about ours? How about the _worlds _suffering? And how much of it has been at the hands of your kind!?”

Dean quietly hushed his younger brother and gently pushed him behind him.

“Do you want a story?” He asked. “Try Cleopatra Carter, or Kevin Tran. He was just a kid. A good straight A kid and then got sucked into all this angel _crap _and then became a Prophet of the Word of God. Your Prophet.” Metatron frowned as he shied away from the brothers’ piercing gaze. “Now you should’ve been looking out for him, but _no - _you’re here, holed up reading books.”

“He’s dead now because of you.” Sam scoffed.

Metatron paused and closed his eyes. He could still _feel _him, still feel the Prophet’s life force humming from his location on the houseboat.

They were right. He’d made his choice.

Now it was time to fix it by bringing the boy back where he belonged. Where he’d be _safe._

***

Kevin allowed his eyes to flutter open to the relieved expression of the elder Winchester brother. It wasn’t often he felt joy around these two, but their presence was becoming a much needed comfort as they came close to the end.

It was almost over. Soon he could go _home._

_ “I got it,” _He said, removing the tablet from its hiding place so he could hand it to Dean. “The third trial. I didn’t tell Crowley.” Dean looked upon the prophet in utmost wonder as he cradled the broken half of rock in his hands.

“So what is it?” Sam asked.

“To cure a demon.” Metatron replied.

Kevin looked to the angel. “Yeah.” He said. “Who are you?”

They didn’t speak any further on the subject until Dean and Sam were back in the Impala and on their way home. “Cure a demon?!” Dean exclaimed. “I mean, if we do this— you’ll stop trying to cough up a lung and bumping into furniture?”

‘’I feel better, yeah. I’m.. just having a direction to move in.”

“Good cause where we’re headed doesn’t sound like a picnic.”

“We’re headed somewhere.” Sam said gravely. “_The end.”_

Dean slammed his foot against the brake at the flickering morse-code down the road that stood vigil over the body that lay there. It was a code he and Cleopatra had established during hunts in the woods that would help him and Sam find her more easily.

“Dean!” She yelled. The brothers slammed the doors of the Impala and rushed to meet her as she sprinted toward them and threw herself into Dean’s arms. “I just-I barely had time to get him out of there and the _angels_-“

“You _disappeared, _kid!” Dean exclaimed. “We had no idea what to do and then your cell tracker was gone-“ He paused mid-sentence to punch her rather forcefully in the arm. “Don’t ever do that again!”

“We need help. _He _needs help.” She motioned to Castiel still laying on the road, elbow propped upward to hold his weight as he struggled with his still unhealed wound. “Castiel? Are you still with me?”

“_A little help here.”_

The angel sighed as Dean and Sam maneuvered him into the natural part of her legs, his shirt already unbuttoned and hair askew as she took him into her arms. Exhaustion flooded his body as he allowed himself to relax for the first time in what felt like years.

Warm lips pressed against his temple. “I’m here,” She whispered, gently mouthing the spot just beneath his ear that always made him _writhe _at her ministrations. “Not just in your dreams, sweet angel.. I am _here._”

He clasped her hands in his own, swallowed the knot in his throat, and whispered a very simple question as she began mending his skin back together.

“_Stay?”_

Cleopatra nodded and tightened her embrace so she could bury her face in his hair. Castiel allowed himself to succumb to his exhaustion and fell into a light sleep with his head lolling on her shoulder, their hands still conjoined against his stomach.

"Always.”


	68. Sacrifice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The ultimate price.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm hoping it's not, but this might be the last chapter for a couple of weeks until i figure out how to fit in writing time with me now being a junior in college x i hope you all enjoy it! please let me know what you think!
> 
> s9 gets married casopatra <333333

_previously on supernatural…_

_Dean and Sam are forced to submit to Crowley whenever he begins targeting victims of former cases they worked back in the day. Helpless to do nothing but submit, the brothers prepare to leave the trials unfinished and allow the justice for their deceased mother to slip from their fingers._

_Cleopatra doesn’t intend on letting them do that._

_Elsewhere, Castiel falls victim to Metatron’s manipulations of what he believes is to be the angel trials._

***

“You do realize how half-cocked this is right?” Cleopatra snapped as Sam wrenched her across the street to where Kevin had revealed his half of the demon tablet. “You’re just gonna _give _it to him? The same guy we’ve spent all this time trying to keep contained in Hell?”

“You have no faith in me, sweetheart.” Dean mused as he playfully shook his hips for good measure.

“It’s _you. _Am I supposed to have faith in your stupidity?”

Sam ushered to the young Prophet as he gripped the two sides of the tablet and pressed them together to hand them the entire rock. “She’s right.” Kevin said. “Are you two sure this is going to work?”

“Cleopatra wasn’t actually _present _for most of our conversation with Crowley, but she won’t tell you that.” Sam replied, oblivious to the guffaw of the Nephilim who stood right behind him. “What other choice do we have?”

“Cleopatra is going to take you back to the Bunker. It’s a secret lair. No kaigers.”

“I don’t have any friends.”

“Well, just lie low. Okay? You’ll be a mathlete again before you know it.”

Cleopatra dug her hands into her pockets as she took her place beside the Prophet. “Hey, boys.” She called out softly. The brothers turned to look at her over their shoulder. If you looked hard enough, and I mean _really _hard, you can see the outline of large white wings that are spread as far as they are able. “You’re doing the right thing.”

The boys smiled and bid their farewell, leaving the Nephilim alone with their Prophet.

Something uneasy settled low in her stomach.

_Castiel, _She prayed. _Wherever you are, what you’re doing with Metatron.. be smart. Be safe._

***

“What are you reading?”

“Personal advertisements,” Castiel replied as he perused the section in front of him. When Metatron didn’t answer and instead expressed confusion, the Seraph sighed and motioned to the man in question that was slotted to be shot by Cupid’s Bow. “The sooner that man finds love, the faster the cupid will come. Trust me. I’m friends with friends who do this for a living.”

He stopped short and allowed his eyes to flutter shut.

_What you’re doing with Metatron.. be smart. Be safe._

Castiel paused in his conversation and swallowed thickly. He hadn’t told Cleopatra much about what these trials had entailed, other then that it was going to be essential to fixing the catastrophe that was Heaven after she’d practically leveled it in her quest to bring him the justice she felt he deserved.

He was doing this for her. For them. For _freedom._

_He at least deserved freedom._

“Can I help you gents?”

“Yes!” Castiel exclaimed. “Would you say you’re looking for a partner in crime who is in to role-play and light domination?”

When neither man replied and the one he was speaking to looked rather put off, Cas furrowed his brow and perused the section again for what he might have said incorrectly.

“Brother, it’s 10 AM on a Tuesday.”

“Uh-“ Metatron interjected. “We’ll have 2 drafts, please.”

“Coming right up.”

While the bartender parted to make their drinks, he looked back at Castiel and grimaced. “You’re really not the most subtle tool in the shed, are you?” He asked. Cas jumped to his feet and brandished his angel blade as the Scribe was wrenched backwards by one of his brothers and sister who had appeared at Naomi’s side before he could recognize what was occurring.

“Kill him.” Naomi demanded.

A gunshot rang through the room as the bartender reloaded the shotgun he kept beneath the counter and focused his eye on the small group by the booth. “Next one won’t wing you,” He warned. “Take it some place else.”

“No!”

Castiel gasped as his brother suddenly appeared behind the bar and grasped a fistful of the mans shirt before shoving his head through the glass door of the refrigerator in front of the mirror that occupied the wall.

“Let him go.”

“Haven’t you caused enough harm already, Castiel?!” Naomi exclaimed.

Before Cas could continue his walk forward to take Metatron back, the Scribe lifted his head and shook it incessantly. “Stop, Castiel.” He demanded. “_Please. _Don’t make this any worse.”

As all soldiers do, Castiel obeyed.

Naomi and Metatron disappeared within the next blink of his vessels eye.

***

She joined them on the front steps of the church where they were planning to do the blood purification ritual that would cure Crowley.

“Oh look, it’s my favorite _pet.” _She jeered. “Where’s your precious little Cambion to save you now, hm? Too busy keeping Hell running while Daddy’s getting high off human blood?”

Crowley smirked and shook his head. Dean and Sam had already restrained him within the demons trap on the consecrated ground within the sanctuary. “Oh, Poppet.” He mused. “You have no idea what these two have gotten themselves into.”

Cleopatra joined Sam and Dean outside just as Sam was explaining what needed to be done in order to fulfill the curing of the demon within. It was going to be a long night.

“_Dean_-“ She stiffened at the sound of Castiel’s voice as it rang out from behind the door where she stood guard. “I need your help.”

“I’m a little busy, Cas.” Dean replied. “Take a number.”

"I’m afraid this can’t wait. Naomi has taken Metatron.”

Confused, Dean lifted his head from where he’d been rummaging through the trunk of the Impala. “You know Metatron how?” He asked.

“I’ve been working with him on the angel trials.” Castiel replied. 

Cleopatra furrowed her brow and shook her head as she opened the door and stepped outside to speak to the two of them. “Excuse me, the what now?” She asked skeptically. “Because we didn’t even know the trials existed until Kevin translated them, and _why _would-“

“We’re gonna shut it all down.” Castiel continued. “Heaven, Hell.. all of it.”

She took her seat beside Dean on the trunk and crossed her legs at the ankles. “So let me get this straight, Angel.” She said. “Metatron, the guy who was full on crazy cat lady hoarder yesterday suddenly wants to save Heaven?”

“Yes.” Cas replied. “He wants to.”

“Why?” Cleopatra asked. “Why him?”

“I am the only one who can and I _cannot _fail, Dean. I cannot fail you _both. _That’s why I need your help.”

Dean shot upward and wrapped his arm around Cleopatras neck to press his hand against her mouth. “Oh no,” He countered. “You are _not _coming with. I need someone I trust to stay behind and look after Sammy. He needs a chaperone. I’ll go with him.”

“Do you realize-“

“How half cocked this is?” He finished the sentence and allowed the corner of his mouth to quirk upward. “Yep. Keep an eye on my little brother for me, okay?”

Cleopatra exhaled a shuddered breath as he pressed his lips to her forehead. “You should go,” Sam’s voice rang through the silence as he approached the Impala. “Seriously.”

“You sure you two are gonna be enough?”

“We’ve got this. If you guys can lock the angels up too, that’s a good day.”

“Look, I…” Dean paused to consider his words. “I’m down with sending the angels back to Heaven because they’re _dicks_. The demons? This is on us. Start the injections now. If I’m not back in eight hours, finish it with no questions and no hesitation.”

Dean took the tablet from the trunk and cradled it against his chest.

“Castiel?”

Castiel peered through hooded cerulean irises at the woman who stood beside Sam, wings fully enveloping the younger Winchester in their safety. “I love you.”

This is the last time they will see each other for quite a while.

“I love you too.” 

***

_Pray to me, Sunflower. Pray to me, and I’ll be there._

Cleopatra pressed her knees to her chest and tucked her chin against the top of them. She hadn’t been in a church since her father was alive, and being back in one despite its dilapidated condition felt as if she was trying to breathe life back into the ghost of her family.

“Hey,” Sam gripped her shoulders and gently shook her. Had it already been an hour since his last injection? “You with me?”

Blue-green flickered into gold as she looked down at his hand clasped around his wrist. “You’re hurt.” Cleopatra said, standing to her feet and gently enveloping his wrist with her hand to lead him outside of the front doors. "Come here, Sam.”

The younger Winchester nearly buckled against the door as he tipped his head back and _groaned _as her grace flooded his body to mend the wound inflicted on his arm. “_Hallelujah,_” He rasped, voice hoarse and wet as she rested her forehead against his chest. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” She mused softly. “Now, let’s continue. We have a King to cure.”

Darkness had fallen by the time she and Sam reentered the church. “How are we doing Moose? Poppet?” He called out. “Ain’t it about time for the next love injection? C-Ch-Changes.. _turn and face the strain ch-ch-changes… it’s gonna have to be a different man-“_

Sam gasped and clenched his hands into fists as he struggled to fight against the essence that had flooded his body since he’d begun taking on the trials.

“_Time may change me, but I can trace_-“

_What is the power of a knight of Hell,_

_when Daddy’s got the Cambion at his fingertips?_

“Sam, get behind me.”

Sam obeyed just as a rumbling echoed through the church and split the wood of the floor right down the middle until it came just to the outer circle of the demons trap. Crowley peered behind him and smirked proudly.

“Did you really think you could kidnap the King of Hell and _no one _was going to notice? Dumbnuts!”

The doors were thrown open and revealed a single silhouette. Cleopatra wasn’t familiar with the woman.

Sam was.

“Cleopatra-“

“Sh.” She tilted her head and brandished her angel blade before ultimately deciding that it wouldn’t work no matter how much she wanted it to.

The woman stopped in her tracks and smiled. “You must be the Nephilim I’ve heard so much about.” She mused. “I’m Abaddon. A pleasure.”

Cleopatra felt her brow jump into her hairline. “_This _is the Knight of Hell I’ve heard so much about?” She guffawed. “Honey, with all due respect.. can you _please _destroy the patriarchy and take the throne for yourself?”

Abaddon smiled. “I like you.” She said. “I wonder if you’re as unkillable as I am. Wanna test that theory?”

“You can try, sister.”

Just as Abaddon threw her hand out to send Sam into the opposite wall when he tried to brandish his gun, Cleopatra curled her wrist and brought the older Winchester back into her embrace before she totally wrapped herself around his body.

_Force, this is going to hurt._

She wasn’t usually one to back down from a fight, but this was Sam. Her brother. She wasn’t willing to risk him.

"Say your prayers, you two!”

_Now._

White wings unfolded and enveloped the pair as Abaddon threw them through the stained glass window and out onto the concrete outside. The impact alone sent waves of pain through the muscles of each wing that now folded in on itself as she tried to shield Sam from any more onslaught from the Knight of Hell.

It would’ve been quite the battle.

“C’mon Sammy,” She took him into her arms, slowly breathing through her nose to alleviate the ache in her wings to a numbed tingling she could ignore as she tried to rouse the younger brother. “We have a fight to finish.”

Her pain could wait.

***

“Hello, brother.”

"Give us your bow.”

Dean’s hand shot out out before Castiel could make a rash decision. “Woah, _hey.” _He warned. “Talk first, stab _later.”_

“I’ve been afraid to go home for some time now. Orders used to come once a day and now it’s chaos. Seems to be breaking down.” The cupid turned her head to look at Castiel and Dean. “And you think you can fix that?”

“With time, yes.”

She extended her hand and revealed her bow. “Take it then.”

_They have so much faith in him. Blind faith… how it will ruin you._

_ “_I think I found angel trials but I don’t see anything about a Nephilim or a Cupid’s Bow or anything like that-“

Dean groaned. “Awe, c’mon Kev!” He exclaimed. “We’re on the one yard line here!”

Naomi caught the two of them on the outside of the warehouse where they’d met the Cupid. Dean had been continuing his walk in the direction they were headed until he realized Castiel was no longer following and turned sharply on his heel back toward the angel.

“_I’m not here to fight you, Castiel.”_

Dean was caught off guard by the hands raised in surrender.

She was serious. _Why _was she serious?

“Where is Metatron?”

“He told you he was going to fix Heaven, didn’t he?” She asked. “Murdering another Nephilim that is not your own, cutting off a Cupid’s bow.. all of it. It’s a lie. I’ve been in his head.”

“You’ve been in all our heads. That’s the _problem.”_

“No, Castiel. You’re wrong!” She exclaimed.

“This is what you do. You twist things. I’m trying to fix Heaven. Metatron is trying to fix Heaven.” He insisted.

Naomi shook her head. “Metatron isn’t trying to fix anything, he’s trying to break it. An act of revenge for driving him away.”

Dean stepped forward. “Break it how?” He asked.

“Expel all the angels from Heaven.” The Winchester brother blanched as Castiel’s face hardened. “Just as God cast out Lucifer.”

“Cast you out to _where? _Hell?”

If you looked closely enough, you could see the glint of tears in her eyes. “_Here.” _She said. “Thousands of us, walking the Earth.”

“_Lies!”_Castiel exclaimed.

_“Wait.” _Dean demanded. He gripped the angel’s wrist in tight fingers as he waited for Naomi to continue.

“Our mission was to protect what God created. I don’t know where we forgot that.” Castiel hid his face from his sister. She was right. She _was _right. “I want nothing more then to see you shut the gates of Hell. I told you that you could trust me. If Sam completes those trials, he is going to die.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I saw it in Metatron’s head.” She explained. “It was always God’s intention. The ultimate sacrifice. As for you, Castiel.. I beg of you to stop this path. Metatron has been neutralized. If you want back in truly, I will listen.”

She disappeared with a flutter of wings.

****

_She deserves it. You, me.. her.. We deserve to be loved. I deserve to be loved!_

_I just want to be loved._

His words were still ringing in her head even after Sam did the next injection. Crowley was not wrong, she wouldn’t discredit him that.. but his confession was so _human._

_Where do I start to even look for forgiveness?_

Never in a million years would she have thought that The King of Hell would be making her _think _so deeply.

Was that what Cleopatra wanted? Forgiveness of all she’d done in Heaven? Forgiveness to _herself _for letting Reagan and her father go on that hunt with John and Dean?

She lifted her head from where she stood in the corner just as Sam dug the blade into his hand and moved toward Crowley to press it against his mouth.

“_Sammy, stop!”_

Her whole body went rigid at the urgency in Dean’s voice. “Dean?” She called out, rolling her shoulders to alleviate the ache lingering behind as she approached the older brother. “What’s going on? Where’s Castiel?!”

_Something is wrong. Danger. Danger._

_He’s not safe._

Dread curled low in her belly as Dean held his hands up in surrender. “You two need to take it easy,” He said slowly. “There’s been a slight change of plan.”

“I let myself get thrown around by a Knight of Hell because of _this _plan.” She snapped. “I did it to protect _him_\- look at how close he is! Why don’t we just _finish _it?!”

“Metatron lied about it all.” The breath dissipated in her lungs as if someone had punched her _hard. _Castiel had fallen for his manipulation and Metatron was going to leave him _alone.. _Oh Gods. “If you finish this trial, you’re dead.”

Naomi had been right.

A beat of tense silence passed before Sam replied, “_So?”_

_ "Something wonderful is going to happen for me and for you,” Metatron crooned as he slipped the vial of stolen grace into his coat. “I want you to live this new life to the fullest. Find your soulmate - she was my favorite part of the story, after all - marry her and make babies! When you die.. you find me and tell me your story.” He pressed his palm to the other angels forehead. “Now go.”_

Cleopatra didn’t even realize she was sobbing until she lifted her hands to her face and they came away wet. “Look at him, look at how close we are!” Sam exclaimed. “Other people will die if I don’t finish this!”

_Who’s the one really looking for forgiveness here? You?_

Bloodshot eyes flickered to the younger brother. The one who had heard her pained cries of Castiel’s name, the one who she’d held through nightmares and he’d done the same for her, the one who _burned _when she felt his pain and the one who needed reassurance of just how much he was loved every time she spoke to him.

This is Sam Winchester. Brave, bruised, _broken… _and ready to sacrifice himself in ways the world will never thank him for. This is how he lives and eventually, this is how he will die.

It is what it is.

“Think about it. Think about what we know. Pulling souls from Hell. curing demons, ganking a hellhound… we have enough knowledge on our side to turn the tide here.”

Sam laughed bitterly. “You can barely do it with me! You think I screw up everything I try, that I need a chaperone.” He spat. “That’s exactly what you meant. Do you wanna know what I confessed in there? What my greatest sin was?” He paused. “It was how many times I let you two down.”

Dean rose a brow. “Us two?”

Sam turned his attention back to the silently crying Nephilim. “I hated her when we met. Hopped up on the demon blood and _begging _to succumb to that monster in me.. and in spite of all of that, she made me see myself again. Cleopatra has loved _me _and all my brokenness since the day we met and I’ll never be able to thank her for it. That’s her strength. It’s her _heart. _I won’t take advantage of that again. I can’t do it again.”

“Sam-“

“What happens when you both decide that I can’t be trusted again?” He asked. “Who are you going to turn to next? Another angel? Another-Another vampire? Do you have any idea what it feels like to watch your brother and sister-”

Cleopatra felt the hitch in her breath as she sank to her knees, lips quivering and fingers steepled to her chin before she buried them in her hair. “_Sammy_-“ She cried softly. “_Sammy.”_

He heard her prayer clearer then he ever had. She was the only reason he could even _hear _her voice in his head. Without fail, every time. He knew it was her.

_I love you, Sam. I love you. Dean loves you. We love you._

_I love you._

“Hold on, hold on!” Dean exclaimed. “You seriously think that? Because none of it, none of it, is true! I know we’ve had our disagreements and I’ve said some junk that set you back on your heels, but _Sammy… _Come on. I killed Benny to save you. I’m willing to let him and all the ones who killed Mom walk because of _you. _Don’t you dare think there’s anything past or present that I’d put in front of you. It’s _never _been like that. Not ever. Now I put you _both _in front of me. I need you to see that.”

Cleopatra wiped at her eyes and slowly trekked across the floor to stand in front of Crowley. “Don’t make me regret this, Crowley.” She murmured, sniffling before she took a deep breath and snapped her fingers to open the handcuffs. The King of Hell inhaled deeply and murmured his thanks before she stood to meet the brothers.

Sam exhaled sharply and flexed his bleeding hand. “How do I stop?” He asked.

“You let our resident half-breed take your hand,” Gentle fingers enveloped the broken skin as she pressed her lips to his fingertips while Dean took the other hand and clasped his inner forearm. “And you let her heal it. You let us help you _let it go. _Okay? You just gotta let it go.”

_Maybe the forgiveness isn’t yours._

_Maybe these two just need to forgive themselves.._

_And each other._

_ “_I can’t.” Sam whined, grimacing as the essence illuminating his veins slowly shifted into the familiar gold of the Nephilim’s grace coursing through his veins. She could only heal so deeply. “It’s _in _me, Dean. You don’t know what this feels like.”

Not all wounds are external.

Some wounds are inflicted and unable to be treated. Some are _built _into the very fabric of you.

That is what this is.

“I know we’ll find a way.” Dean said, encouragement dripping from his tone. “Come here. Just let it go.. let it go, brother.”

The two enveloped each other in a tight hug for only a moment before Sam was collapsing, and together the pair dragged him outside.

“I got you little brother, you’re gonna be just fine.” Cleopatra urgently sank her knees into the mud beside the Impala as Dean deposited his brother there and urgently called out for Castiel. He would be no use to them here.

Cleopatra pushed her concerns for the Seraph to the back of her mind and gripped Sam’s knees.

Despite her abilities with how powerful she was, even her healing capability could not aid Sam the way it really was needed to.

“C-Cleo-“ Sam rasped, fingers clutching at her shirt as he tipped his head upward. “What-What is happening?”

She paused and peered at the fiery reflection that shined against the Impala.

“Dean.” Cleopatra warned. “What’s happening?”

One by one, figures swathed in fire begun to fall from the vast darkness above them. It almost looked eerily reminiscent of how shooting stars appear. Falling. 

“_No,_” She breathed. “No-No-_No, _Castiel!”

This is Castiel’s legacy. She loves him, she _adores _him, but he is the one they call responsible for what will be now known as **_The Fall _**throughout the angels who survive their time on Earth. Castiel, Angel of the Lord, is a failure.

And again, circumstances have ripped them apart.

She’s not quite keen on letting him slip through her fingers. Not this time.

_Angel. Angel.. Angel. I love you._

“The angels. _They’re falling.”_

He will not hear her prayer. He will not feel her desperation, her urgency, her _worry. _He will no longer hear her cries to him.

He’s human. Vulnerable, _weaker.. _More subject to the very things that have tried so hard to bring her down.

This is the last time they will see each other for quite a while, but it is not the end.

Not for them.


	69. I Think I'm Going To Like It Here

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The angels falling is going to change the course of their history forever.   
Dean meets Ezekiel.   
Cleopatra deals with.. well.. everything.   
Castiel begins to experience what it's like to be human.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this one and the next one will be shorter because after that, we're going off canon for a chapter or two for... the proposal, the impromptu marriage, and the wedding night!

_He’s gone._ Cleopatra shook her head, desperate to block out the final _I love you _that had fallen from Castiel’s lips before he’d ultimately slipped out of her grasps. Heaven only knew where he was.

Or if he was safe.

_Stay with Dean._

She wrung her hands nervously in her lap as Dean shifted behind her, allowing his eyes to flutter closed as he rested his chin against her shoulder. They’d been sitting silently in this position beside Sam’s hospital bed for hours without speaking a word. Dean had needed touch, he needed to be grounded, and she was willing to give that to him.

They both needed the comfort. Even if it was a small one.

Quietly humming beneath her breath, Cleopatra threw her legs over the arm of the chair and nuzzled the column of his throat. “You’re tired.” She whispered. Dean nodded weakly and buried his face in a mess of black tresses that smelled all too much like lavender. “_Sleep, _Dean. I’ll watch over you.”

He was asleep within minutes.

The doctor overseeing Sam came around an hour later. Cleopatra roused Dean from his sleep, murmuring to him as she did so, and flashed the older man a kind smile before urging him to disclose what they’d found.

“The MRI shows massive internal burns affecting many of the major organs. Oxygen to the brain has been severely deprived.” He explained. “The coma is the result of the body doing everything in its limited power to protect itself from further harm.”

Dean extended his hand and whispered _please _so she’d take it. They’d come too close to losing Sam far too many times for comfort now. Despite her power - much of which she _contained_, but she was still no archangel, or God - Cleopatra could not fix what was wrong with her brother. It was up to someone else now.

“It wasn’t supposed to end like this.”

“If your brother continues on this trajectory, the machines might keep him alive but-“

“He’ll be dead.” Dean said. There was a tone of finality in the way he spoke. “So.. so there’s no recovery? I mean, there’s no bounce back. There’s no nothing.”

“I’m afraid that’s in God’s hands now.”

_Oh no._

“You are a _doctor_,” He snapped. “You’re a medical professional, and you’re trying to tell me that my brother’s life is in _God’s hands?! _Is that supposed to be a comfort?! God has nothing to do with this equation at all!”

“I didn’t mean-“

“_That’s not good enough!”_

Gold light flickered from her fingertips and danced along his forearms. “_Heartache.” _Dean straightened almost immediately, gold flickering through green eyes as Cleopatra peered at the doctor and feigned a smile.“Thank you for your time, Doctor.” She commented. “We appreciate it.”

Dean pressed a kiss to her forehead and said he would be back in an hour. She watched him go, frowning as he eyed the **_Chapel _**sign hanging from the ceiling and made a beeline for the front door.

She took her seat back at Sam’s side, grasped his hand, and allowed herself to relax.Flashes of Castiel recurred behind her eyes like the images of a movie. Cleopatra was worried for him, moreso now more then she ever had been, because if what she assumed had happened did occur.. he was the reason thousands of angels were on Earth and in search of vessels.

Heaven would despise him from this point onward.

If he lived that long.

Reaching into the pocket of her jacket, Cleopatra softened and pressed the ghost of a kiss upon the wings that protruded from the pendant.

“_Olani Hoath Ol, Angel.”_

***

_Meanwhile, in Longmont_

Castiel continued to trudge aimlessly down an empty stretch of backroad in the country of Longmont. Angels cried _mercy _in his ears, their screams for help echoing in his mind as he tried and failed to silence them.

He barely missed the truck coming at him head on.

“Hey!” The driver, a broad shouldered older man who looked to be in his fifties, called out as he exited the drivers side. “Are you okay, Mister?”

Castiel grimaced and peered down at his hand where rocks were now wedged into his skin. He’d heard of this before.. often obtained from accidents like this. The humans called it _road rash. _“It hurts.” He murmured. “I heard angels.”

“How about we get you some water?”

“I uh.. I don’t drink water.”

“Dehydration is a real-“

“A phone!” Cas exclaimed. He remembered the brothers and Cleopatra’s phone numbers by heart, he needed to hear _her- _“Do you have a phone?”

The older man paused and extended his hand. “There’s no signal up here,” He replied gently. “How about a lift, hm?”

“Yes, good. I would fly, but I have no wings. Not anymore.” Castiel replied casually as he passed the man and settled himself into the passenger seat.

There was nothing but the open road and the silence in front of him.

In his ears, the angels wept.

***

The man dropped him off in front of a gas station. Rain misted along the front of the truck and onto his clothes, lightly wetting the fabric. Castiel couldn’t remember a time he’d ever been _wet, _let alone felt rain.It was so distinctly human.

‘’Hey,” The man called out. The former angel turned around and allowed his jaw to drop as he opened his palm and produced a few dollars he’d had in the center console. “For a sandwich.”

Castiel shook his head. “No, no. I can’t take your money. I don’t even eat.”

“You’ll figure something.” He said as he laid the money into Cas’ palm. “Take care kid.”

He stuck the money into the pocket of his trench coat and crossed the street to approach the phone booth. There was only one phone number in the forefront of his mind, and he was desperate to call it. “Hang up the phone.” He demanded. “This is an emergency.”

After a brief ruin in with a large man who appeared to be a part of a motorcycle gang, the former angel moved to pace the parking lot and found himself face to face with a younger female angel who _knew _him.

Hael.

That unsettled him. Far too many people knew of Castiel and all he’d done to defy Heaven.

“You’re an angel.” He breathed.

“Am I?” She asked. “What is an angel without its wings?”

The two of them sat down beside one another. Hael explained to Castiel what had been happening when she fell and how she’d been aimlessly wandering around in a vessel that wasn’t meant to keep her. She was lost. They all were. After being led to believe yourself as nothing more then a soldier who is bred to follow the orders of your superiors, he was not surprised. Castiel wanted nothing more then to be able to help his kin seek the same freedom that finding the Winchesters and Cleopatra had given him.

He’d help them find it.

He would.

***

“_Who is this?”_

_“Dean!”_

Cleopatra whipped around at the sound of Cas’ voice through the phone speaker, wrenching it from his grasps and turning on speaker phone so they could both hear him. “Castiel,” She breathed. “Sweetheart, I am so _glad _to hear your voice. Are you okay?”

_ “Flower._” He replied. Dean took her hand and dragged her into the hallway so they could speak to him in private. “_Metatron tricked me. It wasn’t the angel trials, it was a spell. I want you two to know that.”_

She pressed a palm flat to Dean’s chest and leaned inward so they could speak quieter. “Okay,” Dean said. “That’s great, but we have a problem.”

“_What’s that? What’s wrong?”_

“It’s Sam. They say he’s dying.”

The former angel’s brow furrowed in concern. _“What happened?_” He asked.

“I don’t know, Cas.” Cleopatra murmured. “I mean.. first he was okay, and then he wasn’t. My healing ability couldn’t fix him. There’s something about these trials that just _sucks _the life out of a person, and it’s beyond any kind of power I possess. I couldn’t-“

He heard the hitch in her breath. Dean ran his hand up and down her back as she buried her face in his chest. “It’s okay, Cleopatra.” Castiel said softly. “It’s not on you. You can’t always save them, or me. We’re okay. _We’re okay.”_

_ “_Have you heard our prayers, sweetheart?” She asked, sniffling as she wiped at her eyes with the back of her hands. “Dean and I have been praying to you.”

“_Metatron, he-“ _The pause of silence and the anxiety filtering through the phone made her uneasy. _“He took my grace.”_

Her world fell out from beneath her feet.

_He took his grace. He manipulated his heart for his family, his compassion… took his grace and made him human-_

“Oh Gods.” She breathed, stepping away from Dean to wrap her hands around the windowsill and focus on the children in the playground below in order to steady her frantic breathing. “Dean, he’s human. He’s _vulnerable-“_

He nodded and pressed a single finger to his lips. “Cas, listen to me-There are angels out there. They’re looking for you, and they’re _pissed.”_

_ “Not all of them, Dean.” _Castiel peered over his shoulder to where Hael stood. “_Some are just looking for direction. Some are just lost.”_

“What are you talking about?” Dean asked.

“I found one. I want to help her, Dean.”

Dean rolled his eyes and exasperatedly handed over the phone, too overwhelmed to try to appeal to the former angel. “Castiel,” Cleopatra said. “I know you want to help her. I _love _that quality about you, but don’t you think it’s time to be a little bit wary about Heaven and those associated with it? Especially after everything that just happened?” She took an uneasy breath and exhaled slowly through her nose. “Please, Angel. I _love _your heart just as much as I love you but I need you to hear me. Look out for yourself. Until we figure out what is going on, trust nobody.”

“_And do what? Just abandon them all?”_

_“_I do not need to explain to you why you sound foolish,” She remarked. “There’s a war on out there, and for _years _from now they are going to blame it all on _you. _You’re not an angel anymore.. you’re _human. _That means you sleep and eat and bleed and all these things that you have never worried about before.”

“_I’m fine, Cleopatra.”_

_“_So help me God, if I lose you again-“

The annoyance in her tone made him smile. It was a thinly veiled threat, but he knew her. “_You won’t lose me, Flower.”_ He reminded her gently. “_I’m fine. Okay? I’m fine. I’ll see you-“_

She stopped short as the floor beneath her feet began to rumble, and further down the hall from where she and Dean stood, the IV bags and the carts outside the patient rooms began to furiously shake.

“I think we’ve got more company.” Dean warned. “I’m gonna need your help on this one.”

“Get to the Bunker, Castiel. Don’t do anything stupid, or I will end you.”

_“Cleo-“_

She ended the call before he could argue.

Ezekiel turned to the pair as they entered the room. “They’re trying to secure a vessel,” He said. “We need to move.”

“Do you have eyes, Biker Man?” She retorted. “As you can see, he’s _comatose. _We move him, he dies!”

“If we stay, we could all die.”

Dean rushed towards the white board and removed the marker to begin lining the room in Enochian sigils. Ezekiel watched the Nephilim remove two angel blades from her coat - where she had gotten them, he didn’t know - and stand guard in front of the door.

“Okay,” Dean tossed the marker to the side of the room. “No one is getting in or out. Are we good?”

“Only Nephilim sigils affect me.” She remarked.

“I’ll manage.” Ezekiel interjected.

A short pause ensued as the ringing grew gradually louder within the hospital room. “What?” Dean asked, urgency evident in his gaze.

“They’re here.”

Cleopatra threw the door open and nearly made Dean jump out of his skin. “Good,” She said. “I’ll buy you two some time-“

“_Cleopatra!”_

“I am _not _losing anyone else!” She shouted. Dean stiffened at the flicker of angelic _rage _in her eyes as she shed her coat, laid it at Sam’s feet, and gripped the angel blades with white knuckles. “Not _one _more. Not today.”

He barely had time to comprehend what was going on before he was following her out into the hall.

Then the windows started exploding.

“Everyone out, now!” Dean yelled. “_Get out!_”

She peered up and down the halls as the fire alarm sounded and the staff running the hospital fled from the danger. “Dean,” Cleopatra tilted her head and grimaced as two angels appeared before her. “You take one, I’ll take the other.”

Dean bent down to help the grief counselor to her feet. “Stay behind-“ He gasped as she drove her fist right into the side of his face, using her strength to lift him by the throat from the ground. “_Me-“_

Cleopatra growled as she ducked beneath the swing of the angel blade and sharply pivoted on her heel to catch the male angel, driving her palm into his torso and sending him backward through the now empty hall.

The female angel grasped Dean by the neck of his coat and dragged him down the hall while the male angel kept her attention. If she could just.. “Hey, douchebag.” Cleopatra taunted, rocking on the balls of her feet as she spun the angel blades between her fingers. “I wonder what happens if I do-“

Then his _own _blade caught the skin of her cheek and _dragged._

Gold light echoed from within the wound.

“I always wondered what it would be like to kill a Nephilim.” He mused. “Now it looks like I might get the chance.”

“No ordinary angel blade can kill me-“

“This one here is _enchanted. _Centuries old spell work meant to kill all the pretty little powerful abominations like you…” The male angel motioned to the Enochian runes that covered the blade. “Kept in our storage for when our brothers get too handsy and create their offspring. I mean.. you did see what happened to your brother and father, didn’t you?”

Rage reared its head as she twisted her wrist behind her head and threw it forward, grimacing as the blade made its mark right in the center of his torso and killed the being within.

The body fell to the floor.

“_Yeah,_” She replied, bending down to retrieve the blade and wiping the blood on his coat before lifting a palm to her cheek. Once upon a time there might have been remorse for killing, for being the reason _so _many were dead, but that time was no longer here. There was no remorse over the demons and angels. Not anymore. “_I saw what it did to my family.”_

***

Castiel looked down at her lap, then to the unbuckled seat belt, and fastened his own before jerking the wheel in his direction to veer Hael off the road.All he heard was the grinding of metal and the ringing of his own ears.

_Pain. _Hm. He’s not sure he’s ever felt physical pain to this degree before.

He grunted quietly beneath his breath and slowly exited the car, wrapping his arm around his ribcage as he stumbled over to where Hael’s body laid in the grass. Had she not been an angel, the woman she occupied would be dead.“I don’t want to hurt you.” He confessed. “I didn’t want to hurt _any _of them, I want to help you. I will devote my life to helping you all.”

“Do you know how _ridiculous _you sound?” She jeered. “Help angels? After what you did? They don’t want your help, Castiel. They want your _head.”_

Cleopatra had warned him about this. How his decision in trying to _save _Heaven would ultimately be the final nail in the coffin that was turning against him. For the foreseeable future.. he was alone.

And that hurt worse then any of the physical pain he was in.

“You’re wrong. I’m one of you. I will never _stop _being one of you.”

“Don’t you get it? Together, I can _protect _you.. Castiel. You’re alone. That soulmate of yours can’t do much for you anymore.” Hael smirked as he bristled at the remark.

“I don’t need-“ He swallowed the knot in his throat and stood to his feet. “I don’t need your protection.”

“If you leave me here in this broken girl, I swear it-I swear it, Castiel! I will tell them where you are!” She yelled. Castiel paused in his steps and slowly allowed his eyes to flutter closed as he considered his options. They will hunt you. Until their last breath, they will seek revenge on the angel that did this, that _destroyed _Heaven!”

“Stop.” He demanded.

“They will seek a vengeance on you that will make God striking down Lucifer seem like child’s play. I will go on angel radio and tell them everything unless you open your heart and say yes-“

Figuring he had nothing left to lose, Castiel shoved his angel blade right into her heart.

Hael died within the broken corpse of a girl.

His venture that evening found him at a laundry mat. Removing the coins from his pocket, he began stripping off the blood stained clothes and tossing them into the washer before recognizing the tell tale signs of hunger stirring low in his belly.

“_One of the best things about being human is indulging in good food,” Cleopatra beamed over the crust of the BLT Dean had made her for lunch as she lightly nudged the angel’s calf with her thigh. “And one day, I’m gonna teach you about the best foods there is. Something other then that black coffee you seem to love so much.”_

Castiel peered down into the washer and grimaced. It was either wash his clothes, or eat the food.

He chose the food.

Removing the lost and found clothes - regardless of the fact that they didn’t match - and putting them on, the former angel stood on the porch and downed the bottle of water he’d bought in record time.

He was still hungry. Hungry, tired, and so very much alone with one coin left to spare.

Castiel walked down the sidewalk and approached the phone booth at the corner. He’d only dialed this specific number a couple of times, but he had an idea for when he returned to the Bunker and he wanted to see it through. The only way to do that was by talking to her.

“_Alexandria Carter here. Who is this?”_

_“Doctor Carter, this is Castiel. Your daughter’s boyfriend.” _Alexandria gasped and pressed her hand over her mouth. “_I need your help.”_


	70. I'm No Angel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Castiel deals with the fallout of the angel's being stranded on Earth.  
This means learning what it really means to be human.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good afternoon! This came ALOT later then I wanted it to, but I just realized this hit over 1500 views and I just wanted to say thank you! I know OCS aren't popular. Given that most people ship Destiel, I never expected this story to take off and no matter how many times I wanted to quit writing it, my heart wouldn't give up on this 3 year story I'd made for Castiel and Cleopatra. 
> 
> Speaking of.. we're about to veer away from canon for a chapter or two. It's time to get to my favorite parts... the wedding and the wedding night, written by @webcricket on Tumblr! Go give her a follow!

_ ‘’Castiel?” Alexandria pressed her hand to her chest and stood from the sofa in her hotel room at the sound of the angel’s voice. She’d only heard from him directly a couple of times since he’d begun pursuing Cleopatra, but it was abnormal for him to reach out in such desperation. “Forgive me if this seems callous, but why are you calling me?”_

_ “I’m in Longmont, Colorado.” He replied. “I’ve lost my grace and am on the run-“_

_“Then you should be calling my daughter or the Winchesters!”_

_“You are not in ‘’the life’’ as they so eloquently call it. You would be a safe haven because of how well warded your country home is, and-“ Castiel hesitated and scratched the back of his neck. “You have something I need.”_

_ “Which is? I’m not exactly in the vicinity. I’m in a conference in the next state over.”_

_The former angel softly snorted through his nose, desperately trying to ignore the way he couldn’t fight the smile quirking his lips upward._

_ “Rings.”_

***

_Angels can pick up on most things. A prayer, a longing…._

Pressing her hands against her knees, Cleopatra slowly straightened her back and allowed her mind to clear as she listened for the telltale sound of the angel’s voice. It had only been a matter of days since the phone call at the hospital, and he seemed to be avoiding contact with her and the brothers.

Castiel had never made it to the Bunker.

There was something _off _in the way Sam looked at her. She hadn’t been able to put her finger on it, but he was different. Something about the effects that the Trials had on him had made him.. not Sam.

It made her uneasy.

“Did you find him?” Dean asked, trailing his fingers down her forearm to gently squeeze her hand.

“It’s getting easier.. I have a general idea, but-“

“We’ve got something too. I’ve triangulated his call from Colorado and gone outward to see how far he can make it in three days.” Dean extended his hand and hoisted her to her feet, leading her in the direction of the Library table where Sam was bent over a map. “Show her, Sam.”

Sam looked up at her, smiled, and took her hand to lay out the area where they’d pinpointed Cas’ location. The last possible place he’d been was in the area of a case that had appeared only several hours earlier with the death of two Catholic priests who seemed to have been murdered by angels.

Navy pantsuit donned, she and Dean left the Impala after the drive to approach one of the men who’d been living in the homeless shelter nearby. “I think I know this guy you’re talking about,” He remarked. “It sounds like Clarence!”

She quirked a brow. “Clarence?”

“The church, they run the homeless shelter in town. We work here and earn our keep,” He explained. “Clarence spent a couple of nights and had to move on.”

Despite him not being there, Cleopatra could still feel traces of his presence. The overwhelming feeling of loneliness left in his wake was suffocating. “And he left the day that the bodies were found?” Dean asked.

“Matter of fact. Oh man… those poor guys were a mess. They must have suffered bad. But at least now they’re with the angels.”

“I sure hope not.” Dean muttered.

“Did Clarence happen to mention where he was headed?” Cleopatra asked.

“No. He just said he always had to keep going.”

Dean thanked the man for his time and followed on her heels as Sam returned to the Impala. Once the coast was clear, the Nephilim looked around for any stragglers in the area and upon finding none, wiggled her fingers to produce the meal Dean was very clearly looking for.

“_Wahlburger.. _Oh Lord, have mercy.” Dean groaned, lightly bumping his fist against Cleopatra’s as she rummaged through the cooler for her stash of Cherry Pepsi. “Okay, well he’s definitely been here. The good news is that he’s getting cagey. He’s using a fake name.. Clarence.”

Sam chuckled. “That’s what Meg used to call him,” He replied. “Of course, he doesn’t realize that’s the name of a pretty famous angel.”

Cleopatra gasped sharply at the sting of soda down the wrong windpipe as she struggled to contain her laughter at Dean’s expression. “_Dean_-“ She rasped, gasping for air as she and Sam looked at him skeptically. “You-You don’t know who that is? You uncultured-“

“What did you come up with?” He interjected sharply.

“Another angel kill outside a town called Lafayette about a day’s travel east of here.”

“What is that, Indiana?”

“Yeah. Body was found inside of a homeless camp.”

Cleopatra bent her head to read the message on her phone as it vibrated.

**Mom: He won’t tell me where he’s going, but I found your boyfriend. He needed something from me and wouldn’t meet me in person, just told me to leave it at a specific location. He’s afraid.**

Her heart ached as she typed out the reply.

**Cleopatra: We’re in the middle of looking for him right now. Because we’re soulmates, I can feel traces of him in the place he’s been, but he’s running… he’s going to be running for a while. Alot has happened, as I’m sure you’re aware. I’m scared for him.** **Thank you for keeping him safe, Mom.**

“Yo, Cleopatra-“ Dean snapped his fingers in the mirror as he started the engine. “Are you good?”

“Yeah.” She murmured. “As good as I can be.”

They left the suffocating feeling of loneliness behind with the destination set for the scene of the next kill.

***

Castiel balled his sweatshirt up against the window, nestled into the side of the bus, and peered both directions before allowing his eyes to flutter closed. He could sleep for a couple of hours.

When he did, he dreamt of her.

He always does.

_Home._

_ “C’mere angel,” Gold eyes glisten underneath a morning sky as he takes her hands in his own, pulling her into the curve of his body just as she sinks her hands into his hair. The former angel allows himself this one moment to truly feel the depths of his love for a woman he’d destroy the entire world for. “Can you hold me?”_

_He nestles his face into the crook of her neck and inhales the scent of lavender. “Always,” Castiel breathes, beaming as she laughs while he peppers the column of her throat in warm kisses that remind her of butterflies._

The blade cut across his arm faster then he could block it. Scarlet ran through his fingers as he pressed them against the wound to staunch the flow.

“You’re human?”

_The sun smiles down upon them as he hovers a breadth away from parted lips, angelic grace beaming through the blues of his eyes as she meets his mouth with her own._

His world erupted in a flurry of bright light as another brother fell by his hand.

_Peace._

If only.

***

She heard him much, much later. Nestled in the back seat of the Impala, the Nephilim gasped as she shot upward at the sound of his voice in her ear. It was the clearest she’d heard him since the last time they’d saw one another.

_Flower, I need you to know this. If we don’t see each other again…_

Castiel remained in his pew as he spun the polished wedding rings between his fingers. The other woman had already left, her words about the impact of her faith on her as a person ringing in his mind as he pondered them.

_I just want you to know that I love you, and I’m sorry._

He hadn’t thought anyone was listening. Not until he’d seen those bright white wings and thought of her, of them enveloping him to shield him from the cruelty of humanity - a thing he’d never quite been able to see until he became human - and cradle him in her embrace.

“Castiel,” Cleopatra whispered. “Castiel, _I forgive you. _You didn’t know. How could you? That heart of yours, the heart for your family.. It’s your greatest weakness and your strength. I wish more people could see that.” She pulled her knees to her chest and rested her chin on top of them. _“_Come home.. please, please come home to me. I-“ Thankful Dean and Sam were not in the car and were inside of the Precinct, she uncurled her legs and leaned forward to press her forehead against the leather seat. “I need you. I need you, I _want _you.. I love you.”

Her words fell on deaf ears.

For Cleopatra Carter, no one was listening.

***

He kept the rings together on a rusted chain beneath his shirt. When the rain came and he found himself huddled against the wall of a building to shield himself from it, those two pieces of jewelry brought the comfort he so desperately needed.It was a good thing that the rain masked his tears.

Why had no one told him about the misery that came with being human? About the loneliness, the heartache and the desperation he’d been experiencing since falling… Would-Would Cleopatra even dare to look at him the same way?

Would she still see the man she claimed to love?

_Hear me, please.. someone.. hear me._

Someone did: A petite strawberry blonde with a pretty smile and kind eyes who called herself April.

“I don’t usually bring home strange men.”

He frowned. “Am I strange?” It shouldn’t have come as a surprise to him given the nature of having once been a terrifying being of divinity, but Castiel really hadn’t quite _grasped _all the inner workings of what it meant to be solely _human._

“I mean men I don’t know.” April replied softly. ‘’You look like you’ve been to Hell and back.”

“Yeah.. a few times.” Castiel grimaced as he shrugged off his sopping wet clothes and held them in his hands. “My name is Castiel.”

“One name?”

“Like God.”

“Or Cher.” She mused. “Not to raise any red flags, but do you know your shirt is soaked in blood?”

April sat him down on the sofa and gently applied alcohol to the wound on his arm. Castiel preoccupied himself with how to ask for a phone so he could call the phone number he’d written on the inside of his arm. He wasn't sure about human memories and if they were finite. He wasn't risking forgetting it. 

“You’re lucky this wasn’t infected.” She said. “What happened to the guy who attacked you?”

“Oh, I stabbed him. He exploded.”

“Funny. You don’t look like the knife fight or the homeless type, actually.”

“Yes.” Castiel remarked. “Well, I guess I trusted the wrong person.”

“Bad investment advice?” She asked.

The former angel shook his head. “No,” He replied. “Vanity. I thought I was more important, more effective then I actually am, that I could fix everything. And now all I can do is keep running.”

Castiel hated that he couldn’t go home. Cleopatra had been on Heaven’s hit list since her conception and long before, and after all the years that _she _had been running, he didn’t wish to make her burden heavier by having her run with _him. _She would’ve argued otherwise. Argued that they love each other and that they can run _together _instead of farther away from one another… but he won’t risk her.

He never has, and he never will.

“All patched up but _God, _your deltoids are in knots. You’ve gotta relax.”

Cas, unfortunately, doesn’t know when a woman is interested in him, much less coming onto him. When April began to run her hands across his shoulder blades to try and ease the tension in the strained muscles that lay beneath, he made nothing of it.

“Ah, it’s all new to me.” He replied. “Hunger, cold.. this feeling of being all alone.”

“You’re not alone tonight.”

He nearly did. He _nearly _allowed himself to give into his desperation until he saw the gold eyes flash behind his lids, the lips poised into a soundless cry as she watched him return to atoms at Michael’s hands, as they quirked upward and beamed when they exchanged their first kiss. That smile.. he’d give anything to see that smile. To be the cause of that smile.

Castiel turned his head at the last second as April moved inward to capture his lips with her own. “I, uh-“ He swallowed the knot in his throat. “I’m in a committed relationship with the woman I love.”

April frowned. “You didn’t mention her.” She replied. “But now that I’m thinking about it, I should’ve assumed given the wedding rings.”

Both pairs of eyes flickered down to the chain still around his neck.

***

The reaper in their custody grunted against the chains he was bound with. He’d been assigned to the trio at the request of Bartholomew who was insistent on finding Castiel and given that he’d warded himself from the sight of Heaven, the only way to do that was by attaching a Reaper on a chain to find the former angel themselves.

She was angry. Angry that the angels had all turned against their brother, that they’d hired a Reaper to do their dirty work for him because Castiel had just gotten _good _at hiding. She was tired, and she was done caring about Heaven.

About any of them _from _Heaven. Just him.

“I know we’re getting closer to Castiel.” She called out, twirling the angel blade between her fingers as their Reaper writhed in his chains. “You might as well stop being a coward and tell me why you’re the one after him.”

“You bounty hunters are like Delta Force Reapers.” Dean commented. “So why are you being stuck on the angel?”

“He warded himself.”

Cleopatra snorted. “Well _that _explains alot!”

“Did Naomi hire you?”

Maurice chuckled beneath his breath and looked up to the trio in disbelief. “Man,” He breathed. “You three really are out of the loop, aren’t you? Naomi is dead, resting in pieces.”

Cleopatra clapped her hands eagerly. “_Finally!_” She exclaimed. Dean and Sam raised an eyebrow as they turned to gaze at her. “What?! I’ve been waiting for that _thing _to die for months! It’s what she deserved!”

“If Naomi is dead,” Sam replied calmly as he turned his attention away from his over eager best friend. “Then who’s running things in Heaven now?”

A beat of silence passed.

“_Answer!”_

_“_Her protege, Bartholomew. He’s an up-and-comer.” Maurice said.

“So Bartholomew here goes _oh hey, she’s his soulmate and they’re his best friends,_” Cleopatra remarked. “So he just assumed the three of us would lead you to Castiel? Is the entirety of Heaven really that stupid?”

“Is Bartholomew organizing the angels?” Dean asked. When Maurice didn’t reply, he struck out and dragged the tip of the angel blade across his bare torso.

“_That’s all I know!_” He yelled. Dean’s expression morphed into stone cold rage as he tipped his chin upward with the blade in his hand. “You can kill me, it won’t matter. If I don’t find Castiel, there are others that will-“

A pale hand shot outward and drove the blade up and through his chin, emitting a bright blue light that flooded the empty warehouse as the Reaper inside of the vessel was killed. The brothers grimaced and turned to their half-breed, chest heaving and eyes shining dangerously in the darkness as she slowly uncurled her fingers from the hilt of her own blade.

The Enochian runes glowed in the shadows.

“I’m done with this.” She snapped, wiping the blood on his torn shirt as she whipped back round and began stalking through the darkness. “They can try to take him all they want, but I will _not _let them lay one more finger on him. This is over.”

_This is over._

_I’m not losing anyone else._

She slammed the Impala door shut and slowly exhaled through her nose to ease her heavy breathing.

_Not._

Reagan’s smile.

_One._

Her father’s hugs.

_More._

Castiel’s kiss.

Then she heard him again, his longing and his desperation and his _joy.. _He was so close.

“I’m coming for you, Castiel.”

***

April had to invent a new and creative way of getting the angel to talk that didn’t involve sex. She hadn’t taken into account the half-breed that was feared by Heaven kind before having met the former angel, forgetting his devotion to the terrifying Nephilim and how she’d been the reason he’d fallen besides the human he’d saved from Hell.

Her next tactic was one she wasn’t entirely anticipating would work to begin with: The entire liquor store that April Kelly had in the hallway cabinet.

“Castiel,” She poured another shot glass for the angel who shotgunned it just like she’d taught him how, causing a breathtaking smile to turn her lips upward as he met her gaze. His pupils were dilated. “All those things you said earlier, about blame and guilt.. it seems like you’re taking on quite a heavy load for such a sweet guy.”

Her fingers absently trailed patterns against his knee as he peered at the shot glass and the ten empty ones that sat in front of him.

“Believe me, I’ve done alot of foolish and unwise things,” He replied, grimacing as he very slowly sat the shot glass down and ran his hands over his face. This wasn’t how he’d felt when he’d gotten drunk the first time. Back then he could barely move, let alone breathe, and it had only been Cleopatra’s steady hands on his arms that had kept his knees from giving out beneath him. This alcohol just made him feel more.. vulnerable. Like the more he drank, the more open he became. “I’m no angel.”

“Well, whoever you trusted.. Can’t they help undo this?”

He immediately shook his head. “We aren’t in contact.” Castiel replied, and left it at that. The wedding rings he’d forgotten to take off were enough of an indication in the lack of contact between himself and his soon to be fiancé and humans under his charge. His family. 

“So what’s next for you?”

He tilted his chin up and beamed before extending his hand for another shot. “More of this, I hope.”

She stared up at him dreamily, hoping the act would sell, and listened to him talk.

_Perfect._

***

Cleopatra woke to Sam’s gentle hands. “Hey,” He said softly, smiling as she willed her eyes to flutter open to meet his own. “We’re parked.’’

“How long have we been driving?”

“All night.” He replied. “Dean said he got an address about the place where Cas is with the Reaper on his leash.” She slowly sat up at her waist and ran her fingers through tangled hair before wiping the sleep from her eyes. They’d been with Maurice for a couple of hours in that warehouse.. and not once had she seen Dean’s hands go into the pockets of his clothes.

“That’s bogus.”

“What?” Sam asked. “What’s bogus?”

She grimaced and turned to the elder brother. “You didn’t get that location from Maurice’s pocket, you idiot. I was with you the entire time and you didn’t touch him _once. _How did you-“

“Sam!” Dean exclaimed far too jovially for her liking. “There’s a Gas and Sip across the street. Willing to make a supply run for me?”

Sam snorted and took the list from his brother’s hand before slamming the door of the Impala shut and jogging across the street. Dean’s expression turned grave as he turned his weight in the front seat to meet her eyes. “I don’t know what you’re doing, Dean.” She snapped. “But I know you, and you’re a god tier liar, but not to me. Tell me what’s wrong with Sam.”

“There’s _nothing _wrong with Sam-“

“Really? Because I know you didn’t just _happen _to fall upon that address for where Castiel is. I know that Sam’s been unusually _emotionless _recently, and that you’ve been way too secretive about what that angel who came into his hospital room did and how he _suddenly _disappeared.” She jabbed a finger into his shoulder accusingly. “You’re hiding something.”

“Look, we got the friggin’ location of your boyfriend. Why does it matter? Aren’t you happy we found him?”

“No, I want to know _what _you did to Sam, and I want to know why-“

“Okay!” Sam’s exclamation drew the two of them apart as he settled in the car. “We can eat this later. Let’s get to our destination.”

***

“_Cas!”_

Castiel swore his life flashed before his eyes as the door flew off of its hinges to reveal Dean and Cleopatra, both looking equally furious as they turned their gaze to the Reaper practically straddling his lap.

Cleopatra’s eyes lit up, and then her scream _ripped _through the room as April plunged the angel blade into his chest.

_ "No!”_

The redheaded woman threw both of the brothers across the room, smirking pridefully to herself as the half breed dug her feet into the floor and curled her hands at the waist. “This girl is popular with all the boys,” She mused. “But I can’t say I’ve ever bested a Nephilim.”

"That’s because you won’t,” Cleopatra snarled. “But girls just wanna have fun… so let’s have some _fun.”_

While Cleopatra threw her entire body weight at April, Dean gingerly pulled the blade out of Castiel’s chest and crept up behind the Reaper where Cleopatra had her hands wound around the woman’s throat. Had it been under different circumstances the elder Winchester would’ve paused to marvel at the sheer _ferocity_she was exhibiting.

She let the body fall as it crumpled beneath the weight of the angel blade in its torso.

“Cas?” Dean exclaimed desperately. “_Cas!_” Cleopatra braced her hands against her knees, exhaling slowly through her nose as she ran her fingers across the scar on her upper arm, then down the Enochian tattoo on her forearm, and turned to face her worst nightmare. “Cas.”

She’d never seen Castiel’s death.

Not like this.

“He’s gone.”

“I said not one more,” She breathed, blinking away tears in her eyes as she fell beside Dean. Her hands began to glow a soft gold as she moved to press them to his wounded torso. “Not today.”

Dean’s arms wound around her waist as Sam replaced her in her spot, lowering himself to his knees before extending his hand over Castiel’s torso. At first she thought he was just assessing the damage to his body, unable to do anything as she had all the power, but then his _own _hands began to glow, and the wounds closed over.

_Sam was never going to heal.. not on his own._

Her eyes widened in alarm as she turned her head a fraction to meet Dean’s gaze. It was clearly there - desperately written within the shimmer of hazel staring back at her, _please not now - _and she.. she.. she should not have been nearly as surprised as she was.

But the anger was well justified.

“_Flower.” _That achingly familiar rasp echoed in the stunned silence and drew her eyes back to him. “Dean… _Sam.”_

_ “_Cas,” Sam, no longer the angel who had apparently possessed him, called out in response to the angel’s voice. “You’re okay.” 

Cleopatra laughed, then laughed again, then allowed the tears she’d refrained from escaping to fall as she launched herself into the former angel’s arms. Castiel’s body went totally lax in her embrace as she wrapped her legs around his waist and buried her face in the crook of his neck.

“She stabbed me,” Castiel remarked as he ran his fingers up and down her spine. “But.. but I don’t appear to be dead.”

“Well you, you got dinged!” Dean exclaimed as he gestured to Sam. “And you… Cleopatra jumped in at the last minute to heal you right after I got April.”

He nodded in understanding. A moment passed before he leaned forward to whisper in her ear.

“_Olani Hoath Ol.”_

Dean wasn’t sure the last time he’d felt such relief at the sound of laughter.

***

_Victory supply run… as much alcohol you like, on me._

Dean had been deliberate in sending her out for their drinks. His makeshift family was together again for the time being and he wanted to remember today before it was inevitably torn away from him.

“You never did answer my question.” Sam said as they walked beside one another and stopped at the table in the war room. “How did you know where to find Cas?”

Again he gave the same answer he’d given Cleopatra before: “I went through Maurice’s pockets, found the address and took a shot!”

“But neither of us saw you go through Maurice’s pockets-“

Dean shook his head. “She was too intent on finding Cas to notice, and you weren’t exactly _Mr Perceptive _either, smart guy.” He mused. “I don’t see nearly half the nerdy stuff you do.”

“I quite like this place.” Both brothers turned to face their newly human brother as he emerged from the dormitories in a fresh pair of clothes. “Hot food, good water pressure, a bed for Cleopatra and I to share.” A commodity they’d never really had to take advantage of. “Things I never considered before.”

“Yeah, well.” Dean said as he bit into the warm burrito nestled between eager fingers. “There’s alot to being human isn’t there?”

“Yes! There’s more to humanity then survival. You look for purpose. You must not be defeated by anger, or despair.”

The brothers waited for the rest of his sentence, but it never came. It seemed Castiel was surveying the bunker for the return of his half-breed.

“She’s not here man. We sent her on a run for victory drinks,” Dean remarked. He missed the way Castiel held his hands over his stomach and frowned, clearly not keen on imbibing copious amounts of alcohol after what it had done to him the last time. “She’s getting better at drinking the good stuff.”

“She doesn’t _like _beer, Dean.” Castiel replied matter-of-factly. He often prided himself in how much he knew about his significant other. “She only drinks it because it’s all _you _want to keep around.”

“Hey!”

“Are there any more burritos?”

Dean grinned and pointed in the direction of the kitchen as he watched Castiel disappear through the doorway. “Oh, Cas.” He mused, snickering quietly to himself as he took another bite of the burrito in his hand. “You don’t ever change, you lovesick puppy.”

The joy turned into dread too soon when Ezekiel turned to face Dean. His expression - _Sam’s expression - _was grave.

“Castiel cannot stay here.” He said darkly. Dean’s face contorted with confusion, unnerved by the inability to _read _this angel and what his intentions were outside of Sam, before Ezekiel continued. “The angels are gathering in factions. If he is here, I am in danger.”

“No, _no- _He’s got the Enochian tattoo! He’s warded!”

“He was warded _before _the Reaper found him.” Ezekiel snapped. “And then she killed him. He is no longer warded.”

“Yes, and I _thank you _for that, but this is Cas. Okay, who vouched for you when I didn’t know you from jack? He did. The bunker is safe!”

No matter what he said, it did nothing to sway the angel.

“Bartholomew is massing a force. We cannot stand an incursion. Castiel is in danger. If he stays here, _I am in danger._” He repeated.

“How-“ Dean sputtered, clearly confused and still not being able to have enough time to comprehend what was being said. “How are you in danger? And from who? The angels?”

“If he stays.. I have no choice but to leave.”

“Well, you can’t do that. Sam’s not well enough. If you leave his body..”

Ezekiel’s expression became grim. It was clear to Dean that he had the desire to fulfill the promise he’d made to the elder Winchester, but Castiel’s presence was provoking his _fight or flight _response. Something about that made him uneasy. “I know.” He said. “And I’m sorry.”

Dean sighed as he turned on his heel and went to approach Castiel. Cleopatra was gonna kill him for this. After all she’d gone through to get him back here, to find him… and he was sending Cas away.

Again.

_For Sam._

“Epic food.” Castiel commented. “I can’t get enough.”

“Cas, uh.. can we talk?”

“Of course, Dean. You know I always appreciate our talks.”

Dean braced his hands against his knees and prepared himself for the fallout. “You can’t stay.”

Something broke in the former angel then, but Dean won’t ever know it. Castiel’s become rather good at hiding his emotions when he needs to, but it’s too difficult to mask the disappointment lingering in his eyes as the elder Winchester stood to his feet and walked away.

He’s alone.

Again.

***

Cleopatra burst into the Bunker with two bottles of wine and a 12 pack of Dean’s favorite beer to a silence so thick it made her stop in her tracks.

“Dean? Sam?” She called out. “Where’s the party?! I brought wine!”

Dean slowly crept out from behind the corner with his hands folded against his abdomen. “Cleo,” He replied slowly. “I need you to listen to me.”

The burrito Castiel had been eating when she left was discarded on the table. In fact, the more she tried to focus in on his ever-thrumming life force emanating through the Bunker, the more empty it became.

Dread crept into her bones and settled itself there.

Curled its claws into her bloodstream, and made itself at home.

“He’s not here.” She said. Her response was rather.. dumbfounded. “Let me guess. He’s not here because whatever _god forsaken angel _you let into your brother made him seem like a threat, because that’s all he ever will be to Heaven, and Sam has always been more important to you - so you kicked him out!”

“It’s _Sam!_” Dean hissed through his teeth. “There’s so much you don’t know-‘’

Dean winced as she rose her hands and sharply pulled them downward, smashing the two bottles of wine she’d bought in the process. Dark liquid pooled and collected on the stairs leading into the war room.

“I don’t care what I _don’t know._” She seethed. “You of all people know better then to lie to _me, _Dean.” Cleopatra turned away from him and began marching back up the stairs to the front door of the Bunker. “You don’t make decisions like that without consulting me about it first. Not when Castiel’s _life _is involved!”

She had one intent: Not coming back until she found that man and made sure he was safe.

“Where are you going?”

“_Home.” _She called out, swallowing the growing knot in her throat as she turned around at the top of the steps and extended her middle finger toward him. “And _screw you _from taking it from me.”

The door rattled on its hinges with the force of its slam.

***

** _This is my voicemail. Make your voice, a mail._ **

Cleopatra cursed as she hung up and retried his phone for the third time. After an hour of endlessly driving around the wider area of Lebanon and Lawrence looking for Castiel, she’d begun growing hopeless that she was ever going to find him.

Her powers should’ve worked - they _should have, _there’s no reason why she shouldn’t be able to find him - but he was very clearly trying to hide.

“Castiel!” She snarled. “Pick up your phone!”

_Angels can pick up on a prayer, a longing…._

** _This is my voicemail. Make your voice-_ **

“Cleopatra?”

She slammed her foot against the brakes and screeched to a stop on the side of an abandoned road. “Castiel,” Cleopatra breathed, fingers tightening around the steering wheel as she exhaled a very slow breath and tried to control her nerves. “Angel, where are you?”

“Go back to the bunker.”

“Not without you.”

Castiel peered down at the chain his fingers were wound around. “You’re risking everything to be out here looking for me,” He said shamefully. “It’s not safe.”

“_You _are not safe.” She snapped. “And I’m tired of running from each other. I’m running to _you _now. Please.. please tell me where you are.”

He removed the flip phone from his ear and sent her the address.

“Flower.”

“Cas-“

“I love you.”

Cleopatra sharply gasped as the address appeared on her phone and she programmed it into her maps, unable to refrain from allowing the tears blurring her vision to fall. She often tried so hard to keep herself from _feeling _things - which was probably an effect of the trauma accompanied by Dean and Sam’s unwillingness to feel because they’d never been taught how to manage it - but after all that had aspired since the angels fell, she _deserved _a minute to mourn.

So Cleopatra Carter sat in her car, driving to Castiel’s location, and she wept.

***

He’d barely been able to sleep with the pouring rain echoing against the roof of the motel. Castiel opted to remain pacing the room, anxiously awaiting the arrival of his girlfriend as he twirled the rings between his fingers.

The former angel nearly jumped out of his skin at the pounding that then echoed against his door.

"Castiel!” Cleopatra’s voice echoed on the other side of the door as he braced himself for the reunion, straightening his shoulders as best as he was able - to hopefully relay to her that he was _fine_ \- before he opened the door and met her eyes. “_Angel.”_

He took that moment just to look at her. Wide blue-green eyes darkened by the lack of light coming from the street lamp behind her, wet hair veiling her expression - relieved at the sight of him - while wet clothes clung to every visible curve of the form he’d been desiring for _weeks._

His mouth spoke before he did. Lifting the chain at his neck, he brought the engagement and wedding bands of her parents into the light for her to see.

“_I’ve been saving these for the day.” Alexandria murmured. He hadn’t agreed to meet her in person, had only given her a specific location to leave the rings at. It was for her own safety. Castiel wasn’t about to put her in danger as well. “I know you’re listening to me somehow, Castiel. I leave you with my last memory of my marriage… now take it into your own.” She took one last look around the area and smiled faintly. “Give her what I never got to have.”_

Forever.

Castiel took her hand into his own and curled her fingers over the rings.

“Marry me.”

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Casopatra's First Time](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21163658) by [webcricket](https://archiveofourown.org/users/webcricket/pseuds/webcricket)


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